Falling Hard is Never Painless
by Tony's-Loki
Summary: For Tony Stark it all started at Freshman Orientation. He had never given Thor's little brother much thought before, but there is something about him their senior year that is different, and Tony is determined to find out what. High School AU. FrostIron.
1. 4, August 2012 Wednesday

**A/N: So uh... I couldn't get this story idea out of my head, so naturally, I decided to write it down, despite the fact that I put another story of mine on hiatus and another one is still in the works with a possible sequel... BUT I hope you guys like this! I'm not gonna promise on regular updates, but here's to hoping! Story not beta'd feel free to point out mistakes!  
Enjoy!**

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Tony Stark is sitting with his friends Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rodgers and Thor Odinson under a tree on Helicarrier High School's campus, home of the Scorpions. Why the school emblem is a scorpion Tony will never know let alone care. All he knows is that this week, which is the week before school starts, is Freshman Orientation. This means that school is open and anyone can come in and hang out, which is exactly what everyone is doing.

Tony never went to Freshman Orientation, and neither did anyone else in his little group of friends. They all found it pointless. Well, all of them except Steve. If he hadn't been at football tryouts with Thor, everyone knows he would have attended orientation.

However, now they're all seniors and they're all here on campus for different reasons. Steve is here because there is Varsity football practice later and he hates being late so he came two hours early. Not to mention he is the Captain so he has to set an example. Clint and Natasha came to scope out the incoming freshman, though Clint wants to scare the living shit out of them. Bruce is here because Tony is here. Tony's here because he had nothing better to do, and Thor is here because he has practice with Steve and his little brother, Loki Odinson, is here helping with the orientation.

"I thought Loki didn't like people." Tony speaks up, looking toward the gymnasium where loud music is pulsing through the closed double doors on either side of the building.

Thor laughs boisterously at that and he looks at Tony and smiles. "My brother likes certain people, but he hates being trapped in a room with what he calls 'Idiots that do not know the difference between a Tony Award and Tony Hawk.' He is only here helping with the orientation because he must."

"What the hell is a Tony Award?" Clint asks as Steve asks, "What's a Tony Hawk?"

Tony rolls his eyes as Thor laughs again and Bruce and Natasha both smirk. "Really Steve? Sometimes I wonder if you were born in the 40's and got stuck in ice for seventy years." Tony deadpans. "I can understand the award thing because even I don't know what that is, and I'm a genius, but Tony Hawk?" Tony states.

"What is it?" Steve asks still confused.

"Not 'it' Steve. Who. Tony Hawk is a person, and a very famous one at that." Tony says.

"More famous than you?" Clint asks with a smirk.

"Don't be stupid Bird Boy. No one is more famous than me."

Clint rolls his eyes at the nickname, "That was one time Stark. And it wasn't even that funny."

"There are multiple bird related moments _Barton_ and you know it." Tony states, emphasizing on his use of Clint's last name.

"No there aren't. Tasha, tell him." Clint says, turning to the redheaded Russian sitting next to him.

Natasha uncrosses her arms and leans back on her hands. "As much as I hate to say it, Stark's right."

"What?" Clint states, his mouth falling open. "Name one time I ever did anything with a bird."

"Well there was that one time you tried feeding a pigeon a worm straight out of your mouth." Bruce says quietly.

"And that other time you swore you had a conversation with a bird while chirping to it." Thor adds.

"And let's not forget my personal favorite," Tony says loudly as he stands up, "When you made a set of 'wings' and tried to 'fly' off of the tree in Thor's backyard."

Everyone, except Clint, laughs at the memories and he grumbles. "I said name one time, not three." That makes everyone laugh harder and a dejected Clint crosses his arms over his chest.

Once they all calm down Tony looks back at Steve. "Tony Hawk is a Professional Skateboarder." He looks back at Thor, "So why does Loki have to help?"

"Well, he is in A.S.B. The policy is that every senior in A.S.B must help with Freshman Orientation because they have the most experience and should know where every building is located. Being in A.S.B looks good on college applications, so he joined it his freshman year."

"That sounds exhausting." Tony says as he picks at his nail beds. He sits down next to Bruce as the music coming from the gym stops. "So what's he gonna do when this is over and you're at practice?"

"He has a Chior practice to attend that ends at the same time as our practice." Thor explains as he points to himself and Steve.

Tony nods and he looks over to the opening doors of the gym across the quad and the tree they're all sitting under. "Look at all the Freshmeat!"

"They aren't chickens to be eaten Tony." Steve scolds.

"No, they're people that need to be picked on." Tony retorts in a mock serious tone.

"Anthony Edward Stark I will not let you pick on the freshman." Steve reprimands.

"Yes mommy. I promise I won't pick on the new kids." Tony says in the best six-year-old voice he can muster as he sits up straight , draws his shoulders up and clasps his hands together in front of himself, blinking innocently. He drops the act when Steve rolls his eyes and looks away. "Besides, it looks like Clint's got the situation covered."

"What?" Steve asks as as his eyes roam the area for said man.

Tony smirks and points with his thumb behind him. "Back there Spandex Man."

They all turn around and look in time to see the end of Clint's foot disappear over the ledge on the roof. Tony has to admit that both Natasha and Clint have a scary good knack for sneaking around and finding stuff out.

They all watch as the last group of students, all in dark green t-shirts, walk out of the gym toward the building that Clint is on the roof of.

Tony spots Clint peeking down at the unsuspecting group of people and he holds his breath, waiting to see what Clint plans on doing.

"Oh no." Thor groans from behind Tony.

"What?" Tony asks without turning his attention to Thor, not wanting to miss anything.

"Look at who is leading the group."

Tony tears his gaze away from Clint and looks down at the tall, pale , ebony-haired male at the front of the group wearing the same dark green t-shirt as everyone else tucked into black, skin tight skinny jeans. _Oh._

Before Tony can even let Thor know he saw who Thor saw, Clint jumps down and lands in front of the group in a Slender Man costume and mask.

There is instant chaos in the group as girls and boys alike run in all directions screaming. Normally the scene would have made everyone in the group laugh, but at the moment everyone is focused on the livid man ripping the mask off of Clint's face. They watch as he stomps toward them, dragging Clint along with him from the ear.

Tony stares open-mouthed as Loki throws Clint onto the floor next to Natasha with such force that he's surprised that Clint still has his ear.

"Thor!" Loki sneers as he glares at him. "Control your buffoons or so help me I will tie you all up to this trees branches with your intestines!" he half yells as he glares at everyone in the group individually.

When his eyes land on Tony, Tony freezes. _This cannot be Loki._

"What are you staring at?" Loki asks with a look of disgust on his face, ripping Tony out of his thoughts and sending his heart to his throat.

"I am sorry brother. I will keep an eye on them and ensure they bother no one attending the orientation." Thor promises, hoping to diffuse his brother's foul mood.

"You better." Loki says as he tears his eyes away from Tony to look at his brother. He gives them all one last, hard glare, especially Clint, before he turns. "Pepper pull yourself together and help me get these freshman together, now!" Loki barks as he stalks off toward a strawberry blonde girl wearing heels and a green t-shirt.

The entire group watches in silence as Loki screams orders out to his group in a fury that no one questions.

As soon as the group comes back together, Loki and the girl, Pepper, lead them further into the school without sparing Tony and the others a second glance.

When the last of the group disappears behind a building, they all look at Thor, except Tony, stunned.

"Thor." Bruce starts.

"What-" Clint, rubbing his red ear.

"Happened-" Natasha.

"To-" Steve.

"Loki?" Tony finishes the question, staring at where the group just was and he finally turns to look at Thor.

Thor looks down at his hands and he starts to pull the lush blades of grass out of the ground they are sitting on. "It is not my place to tell." is all he says.

They all look at each other before Natasha changes the topic in hopes of lightening the mood. "Did you guys get your homeroom in the mail yet?"

And just like that the conversation is changed, but Tony can't help but think about Loki. _What happened?_


	2. 8, August 2012 Sunday

**A/N: Wow... the response for this story has been... huge! I honestly didn't expect it to get this much attention.  
Thank you to everyone who has faved/followed/reviewed this story! Honestly, you are all amazing!  
I hope you like this next chapter, cause I sure as hell don't!  
Enjoy!**

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Loki walks into his bedroom and closes the door. He slowly walks over to his bed and sits down, taking his shoes off with his feet. He leans forward and rests his face in his hands, putting pressure on his eyes with his palms.

Choir practice had run late today and Odin yelled at him in the car for making him sit there and wait when he had better, more important things to attend to.

Loki, reaching his breaking point, grabbed his music folder and got out of the car at a stop sign, slamming the door shut before Odin could so much as blink.

He had walked to his best friend Pepper's house, hoping to find some kind of distraction. He had stayed there for the rest of the day, ignoring every call and text he got from his mother and brother.

There is no doubt in Loki's mind that Odin went straight to the house without him and didn't bother giving either of them answers as to where he was.

After a few hours, Loki decided it was time for him to leave and politely declined Mrs. Potts' offer of driving him home, not wanting to be a nuisance. He needed this walk to clear his thoughts and reign in his anger.

Hanging out with Pepper always helps to calm him down, but these past couple of days have really pushed his patience to its limits and today in the car was the last straw. Despite Pepper's attempts to make him laugh and smile, all she got was a chuckle and a small, small half-smile. Loki is grateful for Pepper, because he is sure that if he hadn't had her to go to this summer, he would have broken completely.

Loki sighs as he scrubs his face with his hands. The old Loki would have sat in the car and taken Odin's yelling in silence. The old Loki would have berated himself for having upset Odin though it wasn't his fault. The old Loki would have apologized in hopes of calming Odin down. The old Loki would have looked out the window and done his damnedest not to cry, because the harsh words Odin spewed at him would only remind him that he is not Thor, and Odin doesn't love him the way he does Thor.

But not anymore. No. He's finished with Odin. His pretend father never loved him, never wanted him. He only took Loki in because his mother, Frigga, wanted Thor to have a sibling. Though Loki does know that Frigga loves him the way she loves Thor and that she thinks of him as her own baby boy, Loki can't help but feel like he was only used.

He always knew he was different. He looked nothing like the people he called his family for seventeen years. He doesn't have golden hair and blue eyes. He doesn't have a bulky, strong frame like Thor and Odin. No. He has black hair and green eyes. He's tall and lanky. Everyone in his family, aunts, uncles, grandmother and grandfathers, cousins nieces and nephews all treated him differently.

And it wasn't until the end of the school year last year that he found out why.

He laughs bitterly and mirthlessly at the memory of how he was told about his adoption. He remembers it as if it had happened just moments before. He remembers Odin confessing that he never wanted Loki. He remembers Odin telling him that he was a waste of money and time. He remembers Thor's booming voice demanding to know what was going on. He remembers Frigga crying and begging Odin not to tell him like this. But most of all, Loki remembers the utter hate in Odin's one blue eye as he announced in a mockingly happy tone that Loki was adopted and only kept around so that Thor wouldn't be an only child. And Loki broke.

What happened after that is a blur to Loki. He can only remember fragments and sounds. Frigga's wailing and screaming as if her life was about to end. Thor pushing Odin away from him. Thor standing over him, lips moving and the sound of his voice coming to him as if he was under water. Himself on the floor, blood pooling around him.

Subconciously, Loki's hand comes to rest on his abdomen, where a scar from a knife resides, marring the pale flesh under his shirt.

He's brought out of his musing when something nudges his arm. He looks down and he smiles softly. "Hello Eira." he says as he reaches over and picks up the little black kitten, placing her on his lap. He scratches the back of her ears and the green-eyed kitten starts to purr. He smiles and he looks around the room. "Where is your sister?" he asks the cat in his lap but, of course, no answer comes.

He combs the room with his eyes, but he can't spot the other black kitten anywhere. He bends over, being careful not to squish the kitten in his lap, and looks under the bed.

A genuine laugh escapes his lips as he reaches under and pulls the little black kitten with a single white strip of fur, playing with a sock he thought he lost, out from under the bed. He straightens up and puts this kitten next to the other. "There you are Kari."

Loki watches with a small smile on his face as both kittens bound off of his lap and onto his bed playing.

Loki had always wanted a cat but he never got one because Odin wouldn't allow it. However, two weeks ago, Frigga had come up to his room with a cat carrier and litter box, Thor trailing behind her with a bag of kitty litter over his shoulder and two bags from PetCo filled to the brim with various toys and bowls for food for his new kittens.

Loki was ecstatic about his two new "babies", and for a while he forgot about the complete hell his life had become. It was only after his pets were asleep on his pillow that he realized that Thor and Frigga were trying to fix their relationship with him.

Loki had distanced himself from everyone in the house because he found it easier and less painful to withdraw himself from the two people he had loved and trusted most then it was to forgive them for lying to him and using him.

It was easier for Loki to forgive Thor because Thor had been just as clueless as he had been. It was easier because Thor never stopped calling Loki his little brother despite Loki's protests that they are not brothers. It was easier because it was Thor who protected him from Odin before anymore damage could be done to him on that fateful night. It was Thor who rode with him in the ambulance. It was Thor who stayed by his side in the dreary hospital room for the three and a half days that he was admitted.

Loki knows that his reasons for forgiving Thor are selfish. He knows he doesn't deserve Thor's kindness and love. But the idea of not having someone he can call family scares him. So he lets Thor call him brother, and even though he may rebuke the title out loud on most occasions, Loki still clings to the name, dreading the day that Thor will no longer use such a title for him.

It was harder for Loki to forgive Frigga because she had kept his adoption a secret from him. She had lied to him, alongside Odin, for seventeen years. Frigga swears on her life that she had planned on telling him everything on the day of his eighteenth birthday because "There should be no secrets in family", but now he knows, and he found out in a brutal, painful way.

Part of him wishes he had never found out. That part wishes that everything would go back to the way it was before, that he would have remained ignorant to the blatant truth that had stared him in the face for years. But the other part of him is glad that he finally knows the truth, no matter how painful it is. That part of him is glad because he finally understands why Odin never payed him any mind, and now he can finally stop trying to get the attention of someone who will never care.

Loki glances down at his kittens as an angry mew and a hiss sound out across his room. He sighs as he reaches over and pulls Kari off of Eira, smacking her tiny butt lightly. "No fighting with your baby sister Kari." he reprimands. He puts the kitten down and she swats at his hand with her own tiny paw before she jumps off of the bed and walks toward the scratching post set up next to his desk.

Loki watches as she gets up on her hind legs and puts her two front paws on the post, dragging her nails down on the carpet.

He runs a hand through his hair and he pulls at a loose string on his shirt. As it is, he had just started calling Frigga his mother again. The thing is, he never saw her as anything but. Even after she lied to him, he never stop viewing her as his mother. She loved him from day one, and she made sure he felt just as special as Thor. She treated them both as equals, and that's all Loki had ever wanted. Age be damned, he only ever wanted to be Thor's equal. And his mother gave him that equality.

Loki pulls his gaze away from Kari and he looks at Eira who is playing with an old shoelace that he had found a few nights ago under his bathroom sink. He pats her on the head before he stands up and walks toward his window.

The old Loki is dead and this new one has taken his place.

No longer will he sit idly by and let people use and run over him. No longer will his emotions be used against him. No longer will his trust come so easily. No longer will he be the polite, quiet, only speak when spoken to push-over.

From now on he will be strong. He won't let people use and run over him anymore. He will build up his walls and his defenses He will use masks from now on so that no one can truly know how he is feeling. He will trust no one, save but a few. He will speak his mind and use his wit. He will do what he wants.

He opens the window and carefully steps out onto the sloping roof, walking up its steep slope to the top. He sits down and looks at the orange, pink and purple painted sky as the sun sets over the horizon.

Loki closes his eyes and he relishes the warmth that the setting sun gives his cool flesh.

Tomorrow is the first day of his senior year and he has to be at the campus an hour earlier than everyone else because of his A.S.B duties. He needs to shower, prepare his backpack and get to sleep, but for now, Loki will sit here, on this roof, and watch the sun set.

_The old me is dead, and he is _never_ coming back._

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**A/N: Eugh, I know this gets really preachy at the end, but I can't say that I'm sorry cause I'd be lying. Not a lot of dialogue in this particular chapter, but it needed to happen! I promise there will be more Loki/Tony interaction!**


	3. 9, August 2012 Monday

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter up (: I hope you guys like this. As promised there is more Tony/Loki interaction in this chapter ^^  
Some notes: The school is not in a building. And I'm using my old high school's system as reference in this story.  
Thank you all for the reviews/favs/follows!  
Enjoy!**

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Loki hated this. He resolved that he was going to kill whoever the bloody hell came up with this idea.

Decorating the school's front gates with black and gold balloons and streamers at six in the morning he will gladly do. Going to every classroom to deliver schedules to teachers he will gladly do. Sitting in the A.S.B room and listening to Bonnett chew everyone out over someone drawing a penis on a banner he will reluctantly do and endure, but do nonetheless. But _this_. This he does not want to do, and he told Bonnett just that.

Bonnett being her angry self, however, told him that he either does this or he fails the class.

So it is with great anger that he stands in front of the black gates in the heat of August, with Pepper and everyone else in A.S.B., a few cheerleaders and Link Crew, cheering for the 20,000 plus students that are walking through the gates.

He appreciates the students who walk past them quickly because they understand how awkward and stupid the entire thing is. But then there are the people who take their sweet time walking between the two lines of fifty plus students cheering them on, basking in the attention.

Loki openly glares at these people and once they catch his gaze they do a double-take and rush the rest of the way into the school.

"Stop brooding Loki." Pepper says from next to him as another student practically runs the rest of the way into the school.

"I am not brooding Pepper. I just don't see the point in cheering these... _idiots_ on." Loki says with a sneer at a boy who winked at him.

"It's to encourage them on the first day."

"Yes, because cheering and clapping and whooping will encourage everyone. What about the people with social anxiety? I am surprised no one has had a panic attack yet."

"Always a ray of sunshine aren't you." Pepper deadpans.

"I am only saying that not everyone feels comfortable under this much attention." Loki says as a girl runs, hyperventilating, into a nearby bathroom. "See."

"Alright, fine. It's not the best of ideas, but not everyone is running into a bathroom."

"So the way that girl feels is of no importance?" Loki asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No, her feelings matter but-"

"Majority rules." Loki finishes for her.

"...Yeah." Pepper says.

They continue cheering people on, Loki occasionally staring at people evilly, until the bell rings.

"Who do you have first period?" Pepper asks as she and Loki pick their stuff up from the floor next to them, heading into the school.

"I have Rummler. You?"

"Damn! I have Jaques."

"Well at least we have Advanced Photography together." Loki says happily.

"How do you know?"

"Mrs. Vanoverbeke only has one Advanced Photo class Pepper. Remember, she told us last year when she gave out the Advanced Photo homework?"

"No, I don't remember, but I'll take your word for it." she says as she stops next to a classroom. "This is me. Wanna share schedules during break?"

"Of course." Loki says. He gives Pepper a hug and waits for her to enter her class before heading off to his own.

"Name?" the teacher asks him once he's up the ramp and at the door.

"Odinson, Loki."

"Chair against the wall in the second to last row." the teacher says while handing him his class schedule.

Loki nods as he walks into the class, moving into the seat that his teacher told him. One thing he hated about new school years was getting to know the teachers. However, this year he only has Rummler for the first semester and, if he is correct, Jaques for the second semester.

Every senior switches between the two teachers after first semester in order to fill the mandatory subjects needed to graduate.

Loki could have gotten early dismissal this year for his second semester if he had chosen to take U.S History and Economics at the same time, but he wouldn't have anywhere to go. So instead of doing that he has four electives and two mandatory classes unlike last year when he had five mandatory classes and one elective. He had refused to call A.S.B an elective for the past two years but decided that it is too fun a class to be considered an actual class.

The second bell rings, alerting everyone that there is only one minute left to get to class, when the last voice he wanted to hear reaches his ears.

"Tony Stark."

"Chair against the wall in the last row."

"Cool."

The class is practically full now, but Loki doesn't notice as he watches Tony walk into the room. He groans internally, and then Rummler's words register. _Oh no_. He closes his eyes only to open them again when he hears his name.

"Loki?"

Before he could answer the third bell rings and Tony sits down in the seat on Loki's left and Rummler closes the door and stands in front of the class. _Oh gods_.

* * *

Tony walks up the ramp to class grudgingly. The idea of having U.S History first thing in the morning is to cruel a thing to think about this early.

"Name?"

"Tony Stark."

"Chair against the wall in the last row."

"Cool." Tony says as he takes his schedule, not even glancing at it, and walks into the classroom. _Maybe I can take a nice, hour-long nap and... no..._ "Loki?" Green eyes open and look at him when the third bell rings, not allowing Loki the chance of answering him. Tony sits down next to him and Rummler closes the door, moving to stand in front of the class, and he starts talking.

Tony stares at Loki and it's obvious that Loki is ignoring him completely, so he does what he does best and starts to bug him.

He pulls his pencil out of his pants pocket and, when Rummler isn't looking, pokes Loki in the side with it.

Loki tenses and smacks Tony's hand, sending his pencil flying into the wall.

"Ow." Tony whispers to him and he pulls his hand back, rubbing it. Next he rips a piece of paper out of his folder and crumples it into a ball. He glances at Rummler before throwing the paper ball at Loki. Tony watches as it hits him on the head before it falls to the floor.

Loki's jaw clenches and his hands ball into fists on his desk.

Tony decides not to throw anything else at Loki. "Pst. Psssssssssssssssst. Lokiiiiiiii." he whispers.

"What do you _want_ Stark?" Loki whispers back harshly.

"Hi."

Loki rolls his eyes and growls, but he doesn't say anything back.

"... You can work in pairs or you can work alone. I don't care." Mr. Rummler finishes as he sits behind his desk, turning on some music over the speakers in his room.

Everyone partners up and Tony smiles. "Hi partner." he says to Loki cheekily.

"No." Loki says as he pulls the textbook out from the basket under his seat.

"Oh come on. He said we can work in pairs."

"He also said we can work alone." Loki retorts.

"I'll be your partner Tony." a busty blonde says as seductively as she can manage and Loki rolls his eyes.

"No." Tony says, never taking his attention off of Loki. "Aren't you supposed to be a junior?" he asks as the blonde huffs and walks away.

"I skipped a grade Stark." Loki says on a sigh as he starts to write his name, date and the period number on the top, right-hand corner of the page in the neatest writing Tony has ever seen. "Leave me alone."

"Wow really? How'd you manage that?" Tony asks, ignoring Loki's last request. Loki doesn't answer him, but he isn't fazed. He leans over and looks at Loki's paper. "What'd you get for number one partner?"

"I am not your partner Stark."

"Sure you are. Now what did you get?"

"Stark." Loki growls.

"_Odinson_." Tony says back in a mock growl.

"Listen here you little twerp-"

"Is there a problem back there?"

"No." Tony says before Loki can say yes.

The rest of the class period passes in silence between the two of them, but Tony still gets the answers to the questions from the textbook from Loki's paper, much to the latter's annoyance.

When the bell rings, Tony waits for Loki to get his things and tries to walk out with him. "So what's your second period?"

"My second period is none of your business Stark and I would appreciate it if you would leave me be." Loki says as he picks up his pace.

"Come on Loki, I'm only trying to be nice and get to know you a little." Tony says as he tries to keep up.

"Why?" Loki asks as he turns around abruptly, Tony almost colliding with him. "Why now? Did Thor ask you to keep an eye on me? What's in it for you if you get to know me, hmm? What?" he asks, his green eyes ablaze with mistrust. "You've been around me for years thanks to Thor, so why are you trying to get to know me now?"

"Woah calm down, Your brother didn't-"

"He is not my brother." Loki corrects before he can stop himself.

"... What?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone." Loki says as he turns to get to class. His foot catches on a piece of uneven pavement and he starts to fall face first, unable to get his balance, when sturdy arms wrap around his waist and keep him from rearranging his face on the gravel. His hands grip the arms tightly and he steadies himself.

"Careful there." Tony says still gripping him.

"Let me go, Stark." Loki says quietly, and that catches Tony off guard. He feels something wet drip onto his arm and Loki starts breathing funny. "Please." comes the broken, whispered word.

Tony lets go of him immediately and he watches as Loki bolts away from him, not once looking back. "Loki wait!" Tony screams, but Loki is already gone.

The minute bell rings, but Tony stays rooted to the spot. _What happened?_

* * *

"Loki! I got here as soon as I could! What happened?" Pepper asks breathlessly as she reaches hers and Loki's spot during break.

Loki looks up at her from his seat on the ground and Pepper kneels in front of him, cupping one of his cheeks. "What happened Kiki?"

He chuckles and takes her hand in his. "You haven't called me that since my freshman year."

"Do you remember why I stopped?" Pepper asks, sitting next to him.

"Because I started calling you Peepee." Loki answers quietly. It goes silent for a few minutes before he speaks again. "I had another flashback today."

"Why?"

"Anthony Stark."

"What?"

"Well, it wasn't all his fault. He... he wrapped his arms around my waist to keep me from falling into the cement face first. I knew he wasn't going to hurt me but..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Loki. I know." Pepper says, rubbing his arm soothingly. "Are you okay now?"

Loki nods his head. "I'm fine. I'm just tired of this. Stark tried poking me with a pencil and I smacked his hand because for a second I thought it was Odin's hand. I'm just so tired. I want a way out of this."

"Don't talk like that Loki. You scare me when you talk like that." Pepper tells him as she looks at him. "Just one more year and you're free." she tells him.

"I know... I know." Loki glances at her and smiles. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being my friend."

Pepper leans up and presses a kiss to Loki's cheek. "I love you Loki."

"I love you too Pepper." he says back, pulling her onto his lap and tickling her mercilessly.

* * *

The rest of the day passes by relatively quickly. Loki doesn't like anyone in his third period choir class and, like he predicted, he and Pepper have Advanced Photography fourth period together. They eat lunch and afterwards go to A.S.B for fifth period. Now Loki is heading back to the photography room to T.A for Mrs.V's sixth period Beginner's Photography class.

"Hi Mrs.V." he greets as he walks in, heading for the long table designated for the teacher's assistants at the front of the room. "Where is my guitar?"

"Hey Loki. Your guitar is in the camera room. Why? Do you need it?" she asks.

"Yes. Thank you for letting me leave it in here this morning."

"No problem." she says as she detaches a key from her key ring. "Here. Go ahead and get it." she says tossing it to him.

He catches the key and walks toward the door, unlocking it. He walks into the room and smiles. The room smells the same and everything is exactly the way it was when he left last year. He glances around the small space and laughs. "Mrs.V, you still have this?" he asks as he pulls a cardboard box down from the shelf.

"What?" Mrs.V asks as she comes into the room, picking up one of the Nikon D-40's from one of the many shelves in the tiny room.

"The 'room' that Pepper and I made last year for the Point of View challenge."

"Oh yeah. I actually took my own photos with it over the summer." she tells him.

"Really?" Loki asks as he puts the box down and picks up his guitar case. "How did they come out?"

"Great! You'll see one of the photos today in class."

"You put it in your slide show?"

"I did." she tells Loki as they walk out of the room and she locks the door. "I even put in some of your work too."

"Mine?" Loki asks with a small smile.

"Yes. You're a very talented photographer, Loki. You could open your own gallery."

Loki blushes. "Thank you." he says as the minute bell rings and more students come in. He sits down in the only swivel chair at the T.A table and relaxes as he takes in the range of students walking into the classroom. He vaguely wonders how many of these students think that this class is going to be an easy A when the last person he wanted to see enters the room

"Hey Mrs.V."

"Hi Tony. I half expected you to be late." she states.

Tony brings his hand up to his chest in mock hurt. "I would never be late to your class ! Don't insult me!"

Mrs.V laughs at him and gestures toward the T.A desk. "Take a seat Tony, I need to start class."

Tony gives her a thumbs up and he walks toward the desk looking at his phone.

"Phone away Tony."

"Sorry." Tony says sheepishly, putting his phone in his pocket. When he looks up he freezes. "Loki?"

Loki smirks. "I believe we went through this routine this morning Stark. Do refrain from poking me with a pencil." he says as he turns on the computer on the desk.

"Tony pulls out the stool under the long table and he sits down next to Loki. "Right... Hey listen, about this morning-"

"Don't Stark." Loki interrupts. "There is no need to apologize."

"But-"

"I said _don't_."

Tony scoots his chair away slightly, remembering Clint's bruised ear, and he puts his hands up in front of himself in surrender. "Okay."

Mrs.V starts the class and everyone is silent as she goes through the syllabus and the slide show. "... and these, Loki, one of your very own T.A's, took last year." she says as a montage of Loki's photos pops up on the screen.

Loki blushes at the sight of his black and white self-portrait, and all eyes land on him.

When Mrs.V changes the slide, Tony whistles. "You took those?" he asks in awe.

"Yes."

"Not bad Odinson."

Loki smirks. "Thank you."

Mrs.V finishes her slide show and has Tony and Loki hand out papers with four rows of boxes to everyone, telling them they can either keep a paper or just relax.

Loki doesn't keep a paper and neither does Tony, both of them remembering this game.

"We're going to play bingo. In this class you're going to be working in groups every now and then, and a few of you are going to have to share a camera because we don't have enough for everyone to have their own. So you're all going to walk around the room and ask each other questions from the sixteen boxes on your paper. _One person per question_. The first five people to fill out the entire paper get extra credit. Everyone understand?" Hums of acknowledgement sound out through the room and Mrs.V nods. "Good. So, go." she says and sits down in her chair as all the students stand up and move around the room.

Tony looks at Loki, wanting to start a conversation but not knowing what to say. He opens and closes his mouth a few times and Loki sighs. "If you want to talk Stark then talk."

"How are you?" he blurts out.

Loki laughs in surprise and Tony ignores the flutter in his chest. "I give you permission to speak to me and you ask me how I'm doing?"

"That's how normal people start a conversation." Tony huffs.

"True." Loki says with a nod. "I am doing fine. Yourself?"

"Tired, but I'm okay."

"Don't be afraid to ask the T.A's questions!" Mrs.V yells over the noise in the room.

Both Tony and Loki watch as a short brunette walks up to them. "Hi Loki." she says nervously.

"Hello."

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" she asks, clutching her paper.

"No not at all." he says with a charming smile that Tony subconsciously wishes he was at the end of.

"Is this your fourth year in high school?" she reads off of the paper before looking at him shyly.

"No, but I am graduating this year."

"Oh. Well do you know anyone that has attended the school for four years?"

"I have." Tony says.

"Great! Oh... you're Tony Stark."

"Yes I am." he says with a smile.

The girl giggles and writes Tony's name in the alloted square. "Thank you. You take great pictures Loki!" she says as she scuttles off to ask someone else a question.

Loki leans back into the chair with a smirk when Tony looks at him. "So what grade did you skip?"

"Tenth." Loki replies without hesitation.

"Why didn't you want to graduate with your own class?"

"Why stay for four years when I can graduate in three? Also because I don't have any friends in my own class and Pepper is in this graduating class."

"Pepper?"

"The strawberry-blonde I was with during the orientation on Wednesday."

Tony remembers Loki screaming the name at a girl in high heels when Clint scared all the freshmen in his group. "Ah. You two...?" he trails off and starts making gestures with his hands.

"Together? No, we're best friends, that's all." Loki tells him.

Tony nods. "You're really mature for a seventeen year old."

"Your friend is very immature for an eighteen year old." Loki shoots back.

Tony laughs and Loki quirks an eyebrow at him, tilting his head to one side slightly. Tony looks at Loki and he calms down a bit. "What?"

"You're laughing."

"... Yeah..."

"Why?"

"Because it's the truth..."

"You laughed, because what I said... is true." Loki says slowly.

"Yes..."

"You are a very peculiar person, Mr. Stark."

"...I think that's the nicest description I've ever gotten." Tony says.

"Don't let it go to your head."

"Too late."

Loki rolls his eyes as Mrs.V yells for everyone to hand in their papers for credit. She goes on to talk about tomorrow's work and the schedule for the week and then the bell rings and everyone starts to file out.

Loki walks out before Tony does and Tony watches him as he walks toward the front of the school. _I did want to find out what happened to Loki. What made him change. Maybe these classes that I have with him will help with that._

He watches as Loki walks up to and hugs a girl with strawberry-blonde hair and heels, not sure what the feeling in his stomach is. He jumps as a strong hand clamps on his shoulder.

"Anthony! Are you ready to go?" Thor asks.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah I'm ready." Tony says, remembering that everyone is going over to his house.

"Great! Let us go!"

They both walk toward the parking lot where everyone is already waiting and they all pile into either Thor or Tony's car.

Tony looks up from the ignition of his 2007 Mustang GT and he swears that Loki was looking at him before those greens eyes flit back over to Pepper again.

It takes a moment, but he finally turns on his car and AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" blares out of the speakers. He drives off, Thor behind him, and he doesn't take his eyes off of the image of Loki in his rearview mirror until he turns the corner out of the parking lot into the street.


	4. 13, August 2012 Friday

**A/N: New chapter! I hope you all like it (:  
Thank you for all of the faves/follows/reviews! They really make me feel special!  
Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony is standing in line in the school gymnasium with his English class, waiting. Today is picture day, and of course, Mr. Heywood would want to get these I.D card photos out of the way as soon as possible.

Tony discovered that Mr. Heywood is all bout time efficiency. If something can be done in five minutes, then it better be done in five minutes, no excuses.

Now, Tony likes Mr. Heywood. He's a cool dude and he's pretty laid back, but his fetish for time grates on Tony's nerves. Why it grates on his nerves Tony will never know. All he knows is that it annoys him very, _very_ much.

On top of that, it's only second period and Tony would much rather be asleep instead of standing here with some brunette that doesn't seem to notice that he isn't paying any attention to her.

So far the only good thing that has happened today was effectively bugging Loki in first period.

Tony isn't sure why it's so fun annoying Loki, but he figures it has something to do with how easy it is to ruffle his feathers and nothing to do with the faces Loki makes at him.

But now Tony is waiting to get his picture taken by some old white guy with a Canon. His class is the only one in the gym at the moment, but he figures more English classes will show up throughout the allotted hour.

He doesn't understand why I.D photos are taken during English classes only. It's one of the most important subjects and the higher-ups decided it'd be a good idea to waste the valuable time with something that most students loose after one month.

Another class files in and Tony covers his ear when the brunette that was trying to flirt with him shrieks at the sight of her boyfriend. "Can you not," Tony says and the girl looks at him affronted. Tony only rolls his eyes at her, "Really, Sasquatch has a better mating call."

Her mouth falls open and she stomps on his foot before she storms toward her scrawny boyfriend. Tony lifts his foot as she brushes past him and he holds it in his hands as pain shoots through it. "Bitch," Tony mumbles . Okay, so maybe he deserved that, but she was trying to flirt with him when she's already in a relationship. _Two-timing whore._

Tony limps forward as the next person in line walks to sit in the stool in front of the photographer. He's tempted to walk to another station so that he can get his picture taken and go sit down on the bleachers, but Mr. Heywood is adamant on keeping the class together in one line, which is why he is currently bringing the brunette back to the line Tony is still in.

By the time Tony gets his picture taken the gym is full and it's loud in the room. Tony makes his way over to the table where the plastic I.D cards are being made and he waits. After two minutes he hears his name and he cringes.

"Anthony Edward Stark!"

"Tony," he corrects as he walks toward the woman holding his I.D.

"Here," she says, holding the card out to him.

"Yeah, I don't like being handed things. It's a peeve."

The woman blinks and she continues holding his card out to him, "Just take the card."

"Can't you put it on the table?"

"I'm giving it to you."

"I. Don't. Like. Being. Handed. Things," Tony says slower as his temper starts to rise.

"Take your card Mr. Stark," the woman says practically shoving it into his face.

Tony is about to scream when out of nowhere a pale hand flies out and smacks the card out of the woman's hand, making it land on top of the table. "Oh I'm sorry, did I do that? Whoops, my hand slipped."

Tony looks to his side where Loki just stepped next to him, no trace of actually being sorry in those cold eyes.

"I didn't call your name," the woman says, though it's clear that the glare she's receiving is starting to unnerve her.

"No you did not but my card is on the tray of the machine you are supposed to be handling and I would appreciate it if you would give it to me," Loki retorts none to kindly.

The woman tries to glare at Loki, but hers is pathetic compared to his. She finally tears her gaze away from his and picks up his card, handing it to him.

Loki snatches it out of her hand and he turns on his heel, walking away.

Tony quickly grabs his own card and he follows after Loki. Once he catches up to him he smiles, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me Stark. I did not do it for you," Loki tells him, not even glancing at Tony.

"Then why'd you do it?"

"I was tired of waiting for that woman to call my name and I wanted my card," Loki states as he pockets said item.

"That's it?"

"Yes." Loki walks toward the second to last set of bleachers and he sits down.

Tony follows him and sits next to him, silence falling between them.

"How is your foot feeling?" Loki asks, breaking the somewhat uncomfortable silence.

"You saw that?" Tony asks as he looks at Loki, a feeling of embarrassment creeping up on him.

Loki smirks and nods, "Everyone in the gym saw."

"Wonderful."

"So how is it?"

"What?"

Loki rolls his eyes, "Your foot, Stark."

"Oh, it's fine, possibly bruised but fine," Tony says as he looks at Loki.

"You know that in some cases bruising can be the reason a person loses a limb, correct?" Loki asks.

"No. I didn't know that, but thank you for the thought," Tony states as images of losing his foot go through his mind.

"Just trying to be helpful," Loki shrugs.

After a few seconds Tony speaks again. "So, you still annoyed with me?"

"Only slightly," Loki tells him as he looks away.

"Then I didn't do a good enough job," Tony states but he hurries on when Loki fixes him with the same glare he gave the lady at the I.D card table. "Why don't you like being poked?"

Loki visibly tenses and he looks down at his feet, not deigning Tony with an answer.

After a minute of silence Tony looks away from Loki's profile, "Okay... What are you doing after school?"

"Why?" Loki asks, his eyes narrowing with apprehension.

"Just curious," Tony answers, scratching the tip of his bearded chin.

"I have to go talk to Bonnett about something, then I'm going to Pepper's house," Loki says after a moments hesitation.

"What are you gonna do at Pepper's house?"

"Why do you want to know? Did Thor tell you to ask me these questions? Are you asking because you really _are_ curious or do you just want to _please_ your friend!" Loki sneers.

"SERIOUSLY STOP!" Tony yells and Loki cringes away from him, his anger replaced with fear. That gives Tony pause and a tense silence falls between them. Tony's frustrated with Loki because he can't do or ask him anything without Loki thinking it somehow has something to do with Thor, but the last thing he wants is Loki to be afraid of him. He buries his face in his hands and sighs, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you." When he doesn't get an answer, he looks up at Loki.

Loki is trembling slightly, and his chest is rising and falling faster than normal but slow enough that he won't pass out. His right hand is clamped tightly over the left side of his lower abdomen and he's paler than a ghost.

"Woah Loki are you okay?" Tony asks in worry and he reaches out toward Loki.

"Don't touch me," Loki pants as he increases the space between the two of them.

Tony moves closer and he reaches out again, "Loki I'm just trying to make sure-"

"JUST DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Okay, I won't touch you," Tony tells him and he's glad it's loud in the gym because if it weren't that statement would have caused many problems. He watches Loki intently from where he's sitting and to him it looks like Loki is have a mental brawl with himself. He looks lost. After a few minutes Loki calms down and Tony decides to test the waters. "Are you okay?"

Loki swallows a few times but he nods his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Loki replies thickly.

Tony gives him a quizzical look but he doesn't push. Instead he changes the topic slightly. "Look, Thor hasn't asked me to spy on you, he hasn't asked me to report what you do to him, okay. He doesn't even know that I have classes with you."

Loki looks at him then, surprise written all over his face, "What?"

"Thor doesn't know that I have two classes with you."

"Why?"

"Because I haven't told him."

"Are... are you going to?"

"I don't see any reason to."

Loki stares at him and Tony can tell that he's trying to find out if he's lying.

Loki drops his gaze and he looks out of the open gym doors, "I'm sorry."

"It's cool. Don't worry about it," Tony says as he leans back against the seats behind him. "Does your side hurt or something?" he asks flippantly, gesturing with his hands.

Loki looks down and pulls his hand away from his side in a spastic movement, "No... uhm... n-no."

Tony quirks an eyebrow at him but he doesn't say anything about Loki's stuttering. "So who's your English teacher?" he asks instead, wanting to ease the tension and let Loki know he won't push him for anything.

"What?"

"You know how they only do I.D's during English right? Who's your teacher?"

"Oh... yes, um... Bliss. Mrs. Bliss," Loki says.

"The drama teacher?" Tony asks as he looks at an obviously flustered Loki.

"... Yes."

"She teaches English?"

"Only for seniors."

"What English are you in?"

"English IV."

"Do you have two English classes this year?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I took two last year."

"How was that?"

"Stressful."

"What's your favorite food here?"

"..."

"What?" Tony asks when he looks at the weird face Loki is giving him.

"Do you realize that you jump through topics like nothing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think I'm going to get a headache," Loki admits as he rubs his temples with two fingers.

"Do you eat? You're really skinny."

"Of course I eat."

"What do you eat, grass?"

"No I don't eat grass."

"You sure?"

"I definitely have a headache now."

"Do you want gum?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Stark. Shut up."

Tony looks at him and shrugs. "Well I'm having some. Sure you don't want any?" Loki looks at Tony with something between annoyance and gratitude, but he doesn't answer him. "Suit yourself," Tony says as he pops a piece into his mouth.

Loki sighs and he settles back against the seats like Tony, his legs splaying wide apart as he closes his eyes and leans his head back.

Tony looks at him and his mouth falls open. _Well he's well endowed._ He swallows as his eyes rake over Loki's body and he starts to notice things.

Loki's hair barely reaches past his ears and if it weren't slicked back it'd probably hang in his face. He has a strong jaw line and his neck is ridiculously long and pale. He's obviously toned and the only reason Tony can tell now is because of the way his black v-neck stretches over his chest. Loki's arms aren't overly buff like Thor's, but he isn't scrawny. His waist is so fragile looking that Tony thinks they'd break if Loki took a wrong step. His legs are miles long and Tony suddenly has the urge to feel those legs wrapped around him as he thrusts into- _No! Oh no..._ Tony's head whips to the side when he hears his name being yelled.

"TONY! WE HAVE TO GO!" Mr. Heywood screams over the noise in the gym.

Tony looks back at Loki, who apparently just lifted his head and opened his eyes, and he suddenly feels very embarrassed and ashamed for having eye-fucked Loki.

"You'd better go. He looks like he is going to pop a vein," Loki says.

"Yeah. I'll... I'll see you later," Tony says as he stands to walk down the bleachers.

"Later."

Tony makes it down the steps and next to Mr. Heywood before he glances back at Loki, whose eyes are closed again, and he blushes. _Oh no..._

* * *

Loki walks into his choir class and he sits away from everyone else.

No one in this class likes him, and it's a record since it only took them four days to decide that they don't like him, but that's fine with him because he doesn't like them either.

When Ms. Gruekecky stands in front of the class and starts talking the room goes quiet.

Loki sighs internally. This is the second time this week that Ms. Gruekecky has announced the Choir Concert to the class, even though the concert is more than two months away.

Loki already knows which song he's performing, and the only thing he has to do is tell Ms. Gruekecky if he's going to sing in a group or do a solo.

Loki stops paying attention and his mind drifts back to less than an hour ago in the gym with Tony. He knew that Tony would eventually get annoyed with him because for the past four days whenever Tony asked what he was going to do or how he is doing he always accused him of working for Thor and not actually caring for him or being curious.

He hadn't expected Tony to yell at him though, and it was enough of a shock to send him reeling back into memories of the night he'd found out he was adopted.

Loki had never liked being yelled at before, but that night only increased his dislike of the action, and it made him nervous and fearful now.

He knows Tony saw the fear in his eyes when he looked at him after he'd apologized, but he hadn't expected Tony to try to touch him. That also set him on edge. No matter how harmless the intention of the action was, it still sent him into a slight panic.

Loki had already hated being touched before that night. Only a few people could touch him without him cringing away. Now he shies away from any form of contact that isn't from is mother, Thor or Pepper. Really the only person he doesn't mind touching him is Pepper. He's so used to being touched by his mother and brother that he doesn't even think about pulling away from them. He thought that after what happened with Odin that he'd never be able to be touched by anyone that wasn't his mother or Thor ever again. But when Pepper had visited him in the hospital and pulled him into a hug, instead of pushing away from her embrace, he melted into it and hugged her back.

Now that he thinks about it, he realizes that he didn't move away from Tony because he didn't want to be touched by Tony, but he moved away from him because of the look on his face.

It wasn't pity that he saw, and he thanks the Norns for that, but the worry in those warm, brown eyes was something he hadn't expected to see.

It was that look alone that had Loki moving back and telling Tony not to touch him.

The idea that Tony, on some level, cares for him... scares him.

_But why? Why does it scare me that someone other than Pepper might actually care for me?_ He knows the answer, but he refuses to believe that it scares him because he's afraid that if he lets someone in they will only use him.

Ms. Gruekecky finishes talking and she motions for everyone to rise so that they're standing in front of their podiums. Loki turns to the page written on the board in his music book and he waits for Ms. Gruekecky to get the music on.

He's grateful that Tony didn't ask him what was wrong when he stuttered and pulled his hand away from his side, and he's grateful that Tony just started asking him random questions. Sure he got a pretty mild headache, but the distraction that came with the questions helped him relax enough to push all thoughts and memories of that night away.

He's also grateful that Tony hasn't told Thor that they have classes together, but he's confused about why Tony hasn't told him.

_They're friends. Friends tell each other everything. Unless Anthony isn't telling him because he doesn't want me to be angry with him._ Loki makes a face as his thoughts run through his head. _But people don't do things for people who aren't their friends. Does that make Anthony my friend?_ His eyes go wide as that thought hits him but before he can fully decipher the meaning of Tony's actions over the last couple of days Ms. Gruekecky claps her hands.

"Everyone ready?"

"Let's get this bitch swingin'!" some blonde pretty-boy screams and everyone in the class laughs.

"Idiots," Loki mutters, and all thoughts of Tony fly out of his mind when Ms. Gruekecky starts the music and everyone starts to sing.

* * *

"T.G.I.F.!" Tony states as he walks into Mrs. V's class.

Mrs. V chuckles as she looks at him, "It's only been one week Tony."

"And a tiring one at that. Look, I have bags under my eyes already," Tony says as he puts his hands on his face and pulls the skin under his eyes down, exposing the pinkish red part of his eyes. Mrs. V only shakes her head and goes back to replying to the email she was looking at. "Where's Loki?" Tony asks, not spotting the tall, pale, ebony-haired man anywhere in the room.

"He's in the camera room cleaning the lenses, taking inventory and discarding the broken tripods," Mrs. V tells him over her shoulder. "Wanna go help him?"

"Right, I'll go... help," Tony says as he sets his folder down. He glances at the plastic window that is supposed to offer a view into said room, but it's covered with a large piece of black paper, and it has been since Mrs. V got the room. He can clearly see the fluorescent lights of the tiny room through a small slit in the paper, and he turns the corner, pulling the closed-door open.

Loki's back is to him and Tony can see headphone wires hanging from his ears. He closes the door and once it's shut he can clearly hear the beat of the song Loki is listening to, and he smiles when Loki starts mumbling a line of the song."

"... I'm out here on my own, I'm sick of being alone..." Loki turns and he yelps when he sees Tony, nearly dropping the camera in his hands. Had it not been for the neck strap attached to the camera, it would have broken into pieces on the carpeted floor. "Stark! By the gods you almost gave me a heart attack!" Loki states as he pulls his headphones out. "What on Earth are you doing?!"

"Mrs. V told me to come help you..." Tony tells him, trying not to laugh at the way Loki looked when he'd been startled.

Loki brings a hand up to his forehead and he closes his eyes. "Jeg kan føle at hodepinen kommer tilbake..."

Tony's eyes open slightly and he stares at Loki. "Cool! What language was that?"

"Norwegian... How long have you been standing there?"

"I dunno, maybe like ten seconds, give or take."

Loki grumbles for a bit before he pulls his hand away from his face. "Next time alert me to your presence, alright?"

"Okay, I'll strap a bell to my neck so you can hear me coming." Loki rolls his eyes and he turns around to set the camera he was holding back on the shelf, picking up another one. "So what do you need help with?"

"Uh... Inventory. We just need to write down how much of what there is. I've already gone through the tripods, I'm only cleaning the lenses now," Loki tells him as he takes the lense of the camera he's holding off and wipes it down with an alcohol pad.

"Anything specific or...?"

"The tripods that are good for use, the flash transmitters, the different lenses, the camera remotes, the cords, the filters... anything that the students may use when they start to take their photos."

"Okay," Tony says and he picks up the paper Loki was looking at and he starts to move around the room, counting and writing down the number of usable supplies with a pen he had pulled out of his pants pocket.

They work in silence together for a while before Tony starts humming a song that Clint kept playing throughout lunch. Tony had never heard the song before, but it stuck and he couldn't get it out of his head.

Loki stops what he's doing and he stares at Tony.

Tony can feel Loki's gaze on him and he puts down the grey card he was looking at when he catches Loki's gaze. "What?"

"I didn't know you listened to Macklemore."

"Who?"

"The song you were humming, it's called "Thrift Shop" and it's by a man called Macklemore," Loki explains.

"Oh, well I haven't heard it until today."

"It is fairly new but it's popular," Loki says as he resumes his task.

Tony follows suit and it goes quiet again.

When they finish Tony takes the paper to Mrs. V and he and Loki sit at the T.A table, listening to Mrs. V's lecture on The History of the Photograph.

When the bell rings all the students practically run out of the doors, happy that the first week of school is over.

Tony leaves after Loki again and he watches as Loki and Pepper walk away and make their way toward the quad, headed to the A.S.B room right by the Career and College Resource Center, or the C.C.R.C, whatever.

Tony sighs as he walks into the parking lot toward his car. Today everyone is going to Clint's house to play video games, but Tony is still thinking about what happened in the gym this morning.

He'd managed to push his thoughts aside, but all of it just came rushing back to him. _I am not attracted to Loki... no way_, he thinks as he makes it to his group of friends, _No way._

* * *

**A/N The song Loki mumbled is by Papa Roach and it's called "Before I Die".  
And I wasn't kidding about the bruise thing, some bruises actually are the causes of lost limbs!**

**Norwegian translation: Jeg kan føle at headche kommer tilbake - I can feel that headche coming back**


	5. 24, August 2012 Tuesday

**A/N: Look another chapter! I'm honestly surprised I was able to get it up so fast! I hope you guys like it!  
Thank you for all of the faves/follows/reviews! They make me happy! ^^  
Enjoy!**

* * *

"Don't you just love Club Rush?" Clint asks around a mouthful of nachos. The quad is full of different club booths trying to raise money for funds they have, and stuff they want to do. Everything from food to drinks, flowers and candy grams are being sold, loud music playing out of the loud speakers in front of the stage by the Choir room. "I mean, look at all of this food!" he says as he swallows, taking a sip of his Coca-Cola.

Tony smirks as he looks at the food in front of Clint on the table. "Damn Birdie, did you go to every booth?"

"Yes he did," Natasha says from next to Clint.

"How much did he spend?" Bruce asks, an amused brow raised.

"Almost thirty dollars."

Tony whistles, "Wow. Did he buy you anything Romanoff?"

Natasha nods, "An Oreo Cookie milkshake."

"Ooh, sounds good. Which booth did you get that from?"

Clint opens his mouth to answer but Natasha covers it with her hand. "Photography booth. It's in front of one of the art classes. D-2 I think."

"Awesome. Bruce, wanna go with me to get a milkshake? I'll buy ya one! Or three!" Tony says as he stands up.

"I can't," Bruce says as he looks up from his chemistry homework.

"Boo, you whore," Tony jokes and Bruce smiles at him.

"Been watching_ Mean Girls_ again?" Clint laughs, covering his mouth so that his food doesn't fly out of it.

"The fact that you know what movie that quote is from is proof enough that you watch it just as much as I do," Tony snickers.

"Shut up," Clint says, some slobbery nacho cheese flying out of his mouth and onto the pizza that was set down across the table in front of him.

"Thank you, Clint," Steve sighs as Tony laughs.

Clint blushes as he looks down, swallowing his food. "Sorry Steve."

"It's alright. I'll just buy another one."

Tony rubs his watery eyes as his laughing dies down. "Man that was great! Totally made my day... Woo! Okay, I'm gonna go buy one of those milkshake things. Anyone else want one?" Natasha and Steve raise their hands and Tony nods, "Cool, I'll be back in a few."

On his way to the Photography Club booth Tony runs into Thor, whose arms are full of food. "Whoa there Point Break. You gonna eat all that?"

"Yes I am!" Thor says happily, a goofy smile on his lips.

Tony chuckles at him, "You got a lot of food already, but I'm gonna ask anyway. I'm buying some Oreo milkshakes, want one?"

Thor thinks about the offer for a few seconds before he nods. "Yes, please. I will pay you back."

"No, this is on me alright?" Tony says. "Everyone's already at the table, I'll be back there soon."

"Alright. Thank you my friend."

"Sure. Now go eat, and shield your food, Clint's spraying everyone with cheese from his mouth."

Thor laughs and he starts to walk away. He says something but the words are drown out by the music pulsing from the speakers to his side.

Tony makes a thumbs up at him, figuring he'll find out what it is that Thor said later, and he continues to walk toward D-2.

When he reaches the booth there's a line and he sighs, but he stands in it anyway, ignoring the girls that push their chests out trying to get his attention. He passes the time by trying to guess how many people have dropped their food on the floor, and ten minutes later it's his turn to pay two dollars for every cup of milkshake he orders.

There is only one person in the booth and this person is bending over a brown box, pulling out more packages of Oreo cookies.

Tony can't help but stare at this person's butt and he thinks that it is a rather nice, voluptuous booty, when the voice that belongs to the booty reaches his ears.

"I'll be with you in a minute."

Tony blinks. _You've got to be joking._ He watches as Loki straightens up, two packets of the black and white cookies in his hands.

"Stark. Fancy seeing you here," Loki says as he puts the packets down on the table.

"Awe, miss me already hon?" Tony asks jokingly, recovering from his momentary shock.

"Hardly," Loki replies, opening the packets. "How many do you want?"

"Four please."

Loki quirks an eyebrow at him as he moves toward the blender, dumping half of one of the packets into the thing with some milk.

"What?" tony asks, a little freaked out at the look.

"You are the first person to say please to me," Loki tells him before he turns the blender on.

Tony waits for Loki to turn the device off before he replies. "Really? Wow, people are rude."

"Indeed," Loki says as he pours the milkshake into two cups, moving back to the blender so that he can make the next two, turning it on after throwing the other half of the packet and more milk into it.

When the machine gets turned off Tony goes to say something else when he's interrupted by a different voice.

"Hey Loki, I'm back. Here is your Strawberry Lemonade punch smoothie and your pizza," Pepper says as she sets the food down on the table.

"Thank you Pepper, you're a goddess," Loki states as he leans over the table and kisses Pepper on the cheek, a rare smile on his face.

"Yeah, right," Pepper says. "Anything you need me to do?" she asks as she moves behind the table.

"Eat first, then you can take over," Loki tells her as he fills the last two cups.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Loki," Pepper says with a stern look on her face.

"I'm fine, darling. Really. Now eat or I will force feed you," Loki threatens.

Pepper rolls her eyes, "Fine."

Loki smiles in triumph and he looks back at Tony. "Eight dollars, please."

Tony pulls out a ten and tells Loki to keep the change as he picks up the four cups and walks briskly away.

_Why am I mad? Don't be stupid, you know why. So what? He kissed Pepper on the cheek and called her a goddess, big whoop. What's so special about her anyway? Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that they're best friends! They shouldn't be acting like a couple though. Who does that? Obviously best friends do. _

Tony's inner monologue continues until he reaches the table his friends are sitting at. All thoughts about Loki and Pepper and their interaction disappear as he puts the cups down and joins Clint in cheering Thor on as he sniffs a piece of spaghetti into his nose.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Pepper asks as she watches, along with a stunned Loki, as Tony stalks away.

"I have no idea." _Did I say something wrong? _

Pepper watches as the smile she hardly ever sees Loki wear gets smaller and smaller the farther away Tony walks. "Loki?"

"Did I say something wrong?" Loki asks Pepper, ignoring the impatient people in line completely.

"No, you didn't. Loki, what's the matter?" Pepper asks him, slightly worried.

"Nothing," Loki says quietly, still looking at the place Tony disappeared to in the crowd. The truth is that he's a bit worried. He's been thinking about the possibility of Tony being his friend, and the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he wouldn't mind having a friend in Tony. The idea of himself having possibly having angered Tony upsets him.

"You're lying. Now tell me what's wrong," Pepper says crossing her arms over her chest.

"We have customers Pepper," Loki says as he starts to move around the booth again. "Next."

"Loki, they can wait. Now tell me what is going on," Pepper says firmly.

Loki sighs, "I will tell you. I swear I will, but we have a job at hand," he tells her. When Pepper raises an impatient brow at him he looks down. "I will tell you, I promise. Just not now, okay?" he asks quietly.

Pepper stares at him for a couple of seconds more before she sighs. "Alright, fine. But I expect an explanation."

"And I will give you one. Swear."

Pepper drops her arms to her sides and she moves toward the blender. "Look, you eat first. You've been running around all day. I'll eat when you're done, and then we'll both finish the job, kay?"

Loki nods and Pepper tends to the next person in line. He picks up his pizza and stares at it. _Did I do something wrong? _

* * *

Loki is anxious as he walks into Photography. He wants to ask Tony why he left the booth the way he did during lunch, but he doesn't want to possibly anger Tony more. _And here I thought I was giving up my old ways,_ he thinks bitterly.

"Hi Loki."

"Hello Mrs. V."

"Look, I need you and Tony to go and take bad photos for me, okay?"

"Oh... okay," Loki says hesitantly. "Anything specific?" he asks, deciding to focus on the task at hand instead of who he has to do the task with.

"Just bad photos. You know, overexposure to light, under exposure to light, blurriness, camera shake, the usual."

"Okay."

"Great! Just take two cameras. You can work on your project for fourth period if you want."

"Alright, I will most definitely work on it," Loki says with a small smile.

"What's you're Independent Study again?"

"Macro."

"That's right. Can't wait to see what you hand in!"

"I hope you like them," Loki says as he walks toward the camera room, setting his stuff down on the T.A table.

"I'm sure I will," Mrs. V says warmly.

Loki smiles at her again and he disappears into the room. He walks toward the coverts with the cameras and he opens one, reaching inside to pick up a camera. When he hears Tony enter the classroom his heart rate picks up and he forces himself to calm down. He tenses slightly when he hears footsteps approaching the camera room, and he busies himself with resetting the camera in his hands as Tony walks into the room.

"Hi, Loki," Tony says hesitantly.

Loki doesn't answer him, not confident in his voice yet.

Tony clasps his hands in front of himself, wringing them. "So..."

"So..."

"We're taking pictures, huh?" Tony asks as he stops twisting his hands and runs one through his hair awkwardly.

"I'm sure Mrs. Vanoverbeke has told you what it is we are doing, Stark."

"... Right. Listen-"

"We need to talk but not in here," Loki says more harshly then he intended to, finally turning to look at Tony.

Tony flinches at Loki's tone, but he expected Loki to be angry at him after the way he left him and Pepper during lunch. "Okay."

"Get a camera and we'll go," Loki says a tad bit more gently as he returns his attention to his camera, finishing the reset and checking the battery before reaching for a macro lens detaching the normal lens and replacing it with the one in his hands.

Tony reaches for his own camera, resetting it and checking the battery out of habit, just like Loki did, before he turns to face the other man.

Loki glances at Tony, no emotion evident on his face as he puts a mask up to protect himself, and he walks out of the camera room and into the classroom, strapping his camera to his neck.

Tony follows him as he places his own camera strap over his neck, calling out a general "We'll be back" to Mrs. V before he walks out of the classroom door.

They both walk around the empty campus grounds for a while in silence, the occasional shift of the mirrors inside the cameras as Tony and Loki take photos being the only sound.

Tony knows he should be the first person to talk. He knows that he should apologize to Loki for his behavior this afternoon, but he can't bring himself to talk, and that is a first for him.

Loki wants to question Tony, but his thoughts are jumbled. He wants to know why Tony stormed off during lunch today, but he wants to know if he did something that offended or angered Tony. He wants to know if Tony wants to be his friend, but he also wants to know if he's just wasting his time worrying about whether Tony is trying to be his friend or if he's just tolerating him because they will be working together for the remainder of their senior year. Finally, he settles on a question. "Why did you storm off during lunch?"

Tony stops in his tracks on the grass of the upper campus under a tree, and Loki stops in front of him. _Oh I don't know, maybe because you kissed Pepper on the cheek and called her a goddess?_ "I didn't want to impose on your time with your friend." It's a terrible lie and Tony knows it, and apparently, Loki knows it too.

"Bullshit. Why did you storm off during lunch?" Loki demands as he lets go of his camera and crosses his arms over his chest.

"It was nothing-"

"It was something or else you wouldn't have stormed off-"

"Will you _stop_ saying 'stormed off' oh my god-"

"Just tell me why you left and I will-"

"How about you get off my fucking case and leave me alone for fucks sake! Seriously you're so fucking annoying and demanding! No wonder you only have one friend!" Tony screams as he tugs on his hair, looking at Loki. He can see the hurt flash across Loki's eyes before his mask flies up again. _Shit._

"Fine," Loki says and he turns on his heel and starts to walk away, angry tears filling his eyes. _Of course I annoy him. Why should he be any different? I'm just a miserable piece of shit. Why do I have friends? Or have_ a _friend. I don't deserve any. Of course Stark doesn't want to be my friend... who was I kidding thinking he did..._ Loki wipes his eyes angrily as the tears start to fall down his cheeks when a hand wraps around his upper arm.

"Wait! Loki-"

Loki yanks his arm free of Tony's grasp and he turns to face him, forgetting about the tears falling down his pale face momentarily. "What! What more can you possibly have to say to me?! Do you want to tell me that I'm a worthless piece of shit?! Do you want to tell me that all of this kindness that you have shown to me for the past three weeks, all this 'wanting to get to know me', was only something you devised so that you can have information to hurt me with later on?! Well congratulations Stark! You've successfully managed to make me feel like I don't deserve to be happy, even just a little! Would you like an award for that!" Loki gasps for air and he shoves Tony away from himself, "Why don't you do me a favor and leave me the fuck alone! Just leave me alone..." All the anger in Loki's voice, all the poison in it, wavered as Loki's rant continued, leaving only the hurt.

Tony feels horrible to say the least. He didn't mean anything he said, he only said what he did because Loki was pushing him and he felt cornered. He didn't want to hurt Loki, but what else did he think his words would do? "Loki-"

"No... just leave me alone," Loki says as he turns to try to run down the stairs, wiping his eyes.

"No wait, please!," Tony says and he takes hold of Loki's arm again. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything I said earlier! I only said it because-"

"I backed you into a corner," Loki says quietly. "Look, Stark, I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, and I know that a lot of people don't like me. I also know that a lot of people only 'like' me and are nice to me so that they can get closer to Thor, and I am so sick and tired of people using me," he says as he looks at the ground and pulls his arm out of Tony's grasp again.

"But I'm not using you." Loki looks at him then, and Tony takes Loki's hand in his own, surprised at how soft the other's hand is compared to his own. He leads Loki to a nearby set of ghastly yellow benches under the tree they were first under, and he sits, tugging on Loki's hand so that he does too. "I know you probably don't believe me, I wouldn't either after what I just said. But please believe me when I say that I'm not using you," he tells Loki as he looks into the beautiful emerald orbs that are Loki's eyes.

Loki rubs one of his eyes with a fist, tangling the long, black, wet eyelashes together, reminding Tony slightly of a child who has just woken up. "I believe you," Loki says when he brings his hand down by his side. "The only reason being because I am sure that you are no stranger to being used."

Tony smiles sadly at Loki, "You'd be right there."

Loki looks down at the camera that is now in his lap, poking and prodding at it. "I'm sorry for pushing you earlier. I hate it when people push me, I shouldn't do it to others either."

"I'll accept your apology if you accept mine," Tony offers, a small smile on his face.

Loki chuckles before he sniffles and he looks up, "Deal."

Tony wants nothing more than to wipe the tear away from the corner of Loki's eye, but he stops himself from lifting his arm. _Shit... this is getting really serious. _

A somewhat comfortable quiet descends upon the both of them, Loki thinking, Tony watching Loki think, but Loki looks up when the sound of a picture being taken comes from his left. He watches as Tony lowers his camera slowly, a bit of trepidation in his gaze.

"Sorry," Tony mumbles, "I'll delete the photo."

"No, wait," Loki says as he scoots closer to Tony, reaching out for the camera.

When Loki's fingers brush his own Tony's skin tingles and he holds his breath.

Loki looks at the photo and he nods his head, "I like it. Keep it," he tells Tony, handing the camera back, looking at him.

Tony looks at Loki and he blinks. "Really?" he asks as he takes the camera out of Loki's hands.

"Yes really."

"Why?"

"Because I appreciate quality."

"... What?"

Loki chuckles, looking away, and Tony watches his Adam's apple bob up and down with hungry eyes. "It is a good photo, Stark. Small depth of field, sharp, contrast looks amazing. Keep it, play with it in Photoshop, print it... or... delete it..." Loki says when he looks back at Tony's bewildered face. "Did... did I say something wrong?" he asks hesitantly, hating the way his voice gets quieter in worry and slight fear.

"No! No, it's just..." Tony looks away this time, unable to look at Loki's beautiful face. _What is he doing to me? _

"Just what?" Loki asks softly.

Tony looks back at Loki, surprised at the gentleness in his tone. "You like it," he states.

"... Do you want me not to?" Loki asks, confused.

"No, it's... You take amazing photos Loki. So the fact that you like a simple snapshot that I took is just..."

Loki blushes, "I'm not that good, Stark," he says with a small smile, understanding where Tony was going with his sentence.

"Stop being so modest. You're a great photographer, Loki," Tony tells him.

Loki's cheeks turn an even darker shade of pink and he smiles at Tony. "Thank you. That's really kind."

Tony's gut flips when Loki's very rare smile is aimed at him, and he smiles back, "Well it's the truth."

Loki goes quiet and he looks down at his own camera. "I suppose we should finish taking these photos for Mrs. V."

"Yeah, I guess," Tony sighs as he stands up, Loki right behind him.

They walk around the entire campus together taking pictures of trees that are blurry, washed out flowers, dark photos of a few office aids and pictures of subjects that are out of focus.

Now Tony watches as Loki takes a picture of a flower with the macro lens, admiring the way Loki looks behind a camera.

His fingers are long and elegant, the hands of a guitarist, his nails finely trimmed. His hands are soft to the touch and smooth, no scars anywhere. His arms are well toned, as is his chest.

Loki is crouched down and Tony's eyes appreciate the view as they travel down the length of Loki's back slowly, taking in every inch they can see. Loki has a very nice, round derriere, and Tony discovered that during lunch when Loki was bent over.

Tony imagines squeezing those perfect mounds as he kisses Loki. He imagines biting them and Loki moaning. He imagines pushing into the tight ring of muscle that is hidden behind those round cheeks, and he realizes that he has a boner. _Well shit. _

"Stark, what time is it?" Loki asks as he snaps another picture of the flower from a different angle.

"Uh," Tony clears his throat when his voice cracks. He looks at his watch before he looks back at Loki, "It's two-eleven."

"We should probably start heading back."

Tony can hear the reluctance in Loki's voice and he smiles in understanding. He's the same way when it comes to leaving his lab.

Loki moves to stand and Tony begins to panic, but he calms when he realizes that Loki is paying more attention to his photos than to him.

"Let's go."

"You sure you won't fall?"

"Yeah... I'll be fine..." Loki says distractedly.

Tony smiles and he walks as normally as he can manage, looking for the closest bathroom.

They walk in silence, Loki occasionally making huffs at the camera.

The noises do nothing to help Tony's situation and his pants are only getting tighter and tighter.

Loki looks up from the camera, satisfied with the photos he didn't delete, looking ahead. He still wants to ask Tony if they're friends but he doesn't know how to broach the subject. He opens his mouth to speak, but he only closes it, his words dying on his lips.

Tony doesn't notice Loki's dilemma, and he's glad that Loki doesn't seem to realize his. _Where the hell is the bathroom? Jeez four years at this school and I don't know where the damn bathroom is! That's pathetic!_

"Stark?"

_Oh crap was I thinking out loud?_ Tony looks over at Loki, "Yeah?"

"I... uhm... What- no... How..." Loki stutters and he huffs in frustration. _By the gods I can't even form a proper sentence! This should not be so hard! So why is it?_ "Are..." _Just spit it out. Spit it out and get it over with! ... But what if he says no?_ "Are we..." _Just say it! If he says no... then he says no..._ "Are we friends?"

Loki wasn't looking at him when the question was asked, and the question itself was asked in a quiet, unsure voice. _Wow, that came out of nowhere._ "Do you want to be friends?" he asks, his heart fluttering with the possibility and hope.

"I don't know... I mean, we'll be working together, we're going to be around each other a lot. Doesn't it make sense to be friends?" Loki asks uncertainly, looking at Tony.

Tony's face falls slightly at the words. "That sounds like a forced friendship," he says as he looks down. _Hey, my boner's gone! But that's not important right now..._ "I don't like forced anything," Tony states firmly.

It goes quiet between the two of them as they slowly walk up the stairs to the upper campus.

"I don't like forced anything either," Loki states softly, a small, barely noticeable tremor in his voice. "It's okay if you don't want to be my friend. I understand."

Tony looks back at Loki again, and he sees the far-away look in his eyes, the same one he had in the gym when he had yelled at him, but instead of fear there's sadness. "Hey," he starts quietly. Loki looks at him and they stop walking. "I want to be your friend, why do you think I bug you so much?" he jokes.

Loki smiles weakly at Tony before he looks down at his camera. "And here I thought it was because you like to annoy me."

"That too, but seriously, I _do_ want to be your friend. Only, I want to be your friend if you want to be mine. None of that 'We'll be working together a lot' nonsense. Okay?" Tony asks.

Loki looks up and his eyes brighten, a genuine smile stretching across his face, "Okay."

"Awesome!" Tony states, his knees going weak at the sight before him, and he starts walking again, Loki falling into step beside him.

_Wow, that was simple,_ Loki thinks to himself as he and Tony walk toward the photography classroom together.

_Me and Loki are... friends_, Tony smiles,_ We're friends._

* * *

Loki puts his stuff down on the floor as he flops down on top of the fluffy white comforter of Pepper's queen size bed, sighing as the coolness of the sheets hits the heat in his back. "Have I told you that I love your bed?" he asks as he closes his eyes.

Pepper smirks as she sets her purse and folder next to Loki's stuff. "Yes you have. Don't fall asleep on it like last time though, cause you owe me an explanation," she says as she crosses her arms over her chest in a repeat movement of earlier.

Loki opens one eye, peeking at her before he groans and sits up, "Alright, alright. I'll explain."

Pepper sits next to him and she waits.

"Well I was upset during lunch today after Tony left because I didn't want to be the reason he was upset. He wouldn't tell me why he left the way he did when I asked him though. We talked and... now we're friends," Loki says, smiling as the last word leaves his lips and he conveniently leaves out the part about Tony yelling at him.

"That's a really vague explanation," Pepper says, not really sounding angry.

"You said you wanted an explanation, you never said how descriptive the explanation had to be," Loki sing-songs to Pepper.

"Shut up," Pepper smiles.

Loki laughs as he lays back down, curling his body into Pepper's sheets.

Pepper watches Loki and she realizes that her best friend is happier now then he has been since finding out he is adopted. _Is this because of Tony?_

Loki finishes giggling and he leans up on one elbow. "So."

"So...?"

Loki rolls his eyes, "I saw the way you flirted with James Rhodes when he came to buy a milkshake."

Pepper blushes and she pushes Loki's shoulder, making him land on his back on her bed. "I was not flirting."

Loki scoffs at her. "Oh really. 'I really like your shirt Rhodey'," Loki mimics.

Pepper swats Loki's arm and Loki giggles at her again. "It was a nice shirt!" she says indignantly.

One of Loki's eyebrows quirk up in amusement, "Pepper, it was his R.O.T.C uniform shirt!" he laughs.

Pepper purses her lips and she glares at Loki before punching him in the stomach. She smiles when Loki's laughter falters. "Is it still funny now?" she asks.

"Ow! And yes it is still funny," Loki tells her.

"Loki-"

"Pepper you've been pining for Rhodes ever since your sophomore year. This year is your last chance to be with him," Loki tells her seriously.

"What if he doesn't like me?" she asks quietly.

Loki scoots closer to Pepper and he wraps one arm around her shoulders. "You can't live your life being afraid. Take a chance, you might enjoy it."

"That's easier said then done," Pepper sighs, leaning into Loki's body.

"Some chances are worth the risk, Pepper."

"But what if he rejects me?"

"Then he will lose his chance with an amazing girl like you, and he wouldn't be worthy of you."

"You're only saying that because you have to."

Loki let's go of Pepper and he looks straight at her. "No, I'm saying it because it is the truth. You deserve the best," he tells her.

"Thanks Kiki," Pepper smiles.

"You're welcome Peepee."

"No, don't start with that name again. I swear I'll stop calling you Kiki," Pepper groans.

Loki smirks, "You'd better."

"So, you and Tony Stark are friends now?" Pepper asks, hoping to divert the attention away from herself.

"Yes," Loki says, smiling.

Pepper smiles back before the smile falls from her face, "What about Thor?"

"Thor won't know. He doesn't even know Stark and I have classes together."

"He doesn't?" Loki shakes his head. "Why?"

"Stark hasn't told him, and he sees no reason in telling him."

"Do you trust him not to tell Thor now that you're friends?"

"Friends don't betray each other's trust," Loki says simply.

"You've only been friends with Tony for an hour."

"And I trust that he won't tell Thor anything."

"Why?"

"Because he has had three weeks to tell Thor and he hasn't," Loki says quietly.

Pepper watches Loki again, and she can see Loki's insecurity in his body language and his eyes. She decides that she's going to talk to Tony, and do what best friends do, because even though Loki can't see it yet, it's obvious that he is falling for Tony, and she doesn't want to see her best friend's heart get broken.

She decides to change the subject before Loki can delve further into his thoughts. "So, this song you're singing for the Choir Concert, let me hear it," she says with a smirk.

Loki looks up as Pepper's voice rips him out of his thoughts. He smiles at her and stands, moving toward her computer. "Okay."

* * *

**A/N: I've decided to name the chapters the dates that the chapters are being written about to help y'all follow the flow of the story. Does that make sense? Well, yeah, that's it! ^^**


	6. 25, August 2012 Wednesday

**A/N: Here it is! Again, sorry it took forever to get this next chapter up! I had slight trouble with another fic of mine and, bleh.  
Anyway, hope you all like this next installment!  
Thank you for all of the faves/follows/reviews! They are the absolute best and keep me writing!  
Enjoy!**

* * *

_Pale legs snake around his waist forcing him in deeper, harder and faster._

_"Oh Tony!" Loki cries out as his back arches, his fists curling into the sheets underneath him, short raven locks splaying out over white, goose feather pillows._

_Tony moans as Loki's heat engulfs his cock, and he rocks his hips, moving back and forth inside of Loki at a steady, fast pace._

_Loki pants and his body shudders as Tony tips his hips slightly, going in even deeper than before._

_Tony latches his mouth on the pale neck that belongs to Loki and he starts to suck, licking and nibbling before biting the sensitive flesh._

_Loki cries out again and Tony pulls away from his neck._

_Tony looks into Loki's gorgeous green eyes and he moves down, taking Loki's lips with his own, kissing him roughly before pulling away again._

_"Uhn, Tony... Tony, I'm going... I'm going to-"_

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Tony's eyes shoot open as his phone alarm blares next to his ear.

He groans as he rolls onto his back, fumbling for his phone so that he can turn it off.

Once the room goes silent Tony looks down at the problem between his legs and he groans again. "How many times can this happen over one person?" he asks the empty air around him.

He wills his rock-hard boner to disappear, but he has no such luck.

Before he knows it his hand finds its way down to his boxers and he pulls out his dick. He runs his hand up and down the sensitive flesh roughly, applying pressure to the vein on the underside of his cock, running his thumb over the slit. He was already on the verge of orgasm when he woke, so all it takes is the image of Loki under him moaning, and he spills all over his hand, some of the warm stickiness flying onto his chest and sheets.

Tony lies there on his bed panting and feeling guilty, again, for having orgasmed to the thought of Loki under him.

He had thought that after the first time that same night that his weird... attraction to Loki would go away.

Oh how wrong he was.

But hey, fifth time's a charm... or something like that.

Once he catches his breath, Tony sits up in bed and he moves toward the edge, needing to take a shower because he's dirty and _not_ because he feels ashamed of himself.

* * *

Tony expects himself to not be able to look Loki in the eyes as he walks up the ramp to first period. Instead he feels nervous, as if he's sure Loki knows that he had wet dreams about him last night, and that Loki won't want to be his friend anymore.

_Not even twenty-four hours into this friendship and I'm already messing things up. New record, Tony._

He looks up as he reaches the door to class, taking a slow, deep breath, and he opens it.

He's surprised to see that Loki isn't there yet as he heads toward his seat. He sits down, staring at the empty seat next to him, and he pulls out a pencil.

The minute bell rings and Loki still hasn't shown up.

Just as the final bell is about to ring Loki bursts into the room, the door slowly closing behind him as the bell sounds.

Tony stares at Loki and, despite his guilt, he thinks that Loki looks rather sexy, even though there is a sheen of sweat on his forehead and his hair is slightly disarranged, not to mention that he looks as though he woke up only minutes ago.

"Damn," Rummler mumbles, obviously having wanted to send someone to Tardy Sweep.

Loki sits down in his seat and he tries to catch his breath.

"Hey there Lolo. How's life?" Tony asks as he smirks at Loki.

Loki glances at Tony before running a hand through his hair, effectively fixing whatever pieces got messy. "Don't call me that," is all Loki breathes out.

"Awe, what's wrong, Lolo?" _Well at least I can still annoy him..._

"Please don't call me that. It's worse than 'Kiki'."

"Ooh, I like that one better," Tony states.

Loki glares at Tony and sneers, "Now that we're friends I can punch you and not have to worry about getting expelled!"

"What's the matter Rudolph, wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Tony was smiling before he literally sees all the fight in Loki disappear as Loki leans forward on his desk, holding his head in his hands.

"Not today, Stark. Please," Loki says and he looks at Tony.

Loki looks so tired and worn out, and worry fills Tony at the sight. He reaches over and takes a hold of Loki's upper arm. "Okay," is all he says, and relief washes over Loki's features.

"Thank you," Loki whispers as he closes his eyes.

"Sure," Tony replies, and then Rummler starts his lecture about the different types of government there was and are around the world.

Tony doesn't pay attention, to busy thinking about Loki and how obvious it is that something is wrong. _But what,_ he wonders as his gaze falls on Loki's slumping form.

_What's wrong?_

* * *

Tony didn't see Loki or Pepper working the Photography booth during lunch today, but he did get to see Clint and Thor devour everything they could for the last day of Club Fair.

He's still wondering what it was that had caused Loki to look the way he did in class that morning.

It's obvious that Loki woke up late, and maybe that's why he looked tired, but it doesn't explain the look in Loki's eyes when he asked Tony not to annoy him today.

He tries to shrug his worry off, but it doesn't work.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair as he walks into his fifth period. _I'll just ask him next period. That's what friends do when something's wrong. Yeah._

* * *

"Loki!"

"I didn't have time, Pepper," Loki hisses as he tries to pay attention to the last of Bonnett's instructions while painting part of the banner for the football scrimmage against Silverado High School tomorrow.

"You should have told me," Pepper hisses back, furious at Loki.

Loki rubs his temples and he sighs in irritation. He knows Pepper is only mad at him because she cares, but he's not in the mood for her nagging at the moment.

"Look at you," Pepper continues, louder now because Bonnett is done talking. "You're shaky, you're irritable, you're pale-"

"Stop it," Loki forces out through clenched teeth.

"No."

"Pepper-"

"No, something is going to happen to you because you're always to eager to please everyone, and that is _not_ your job, Loki. I don't care what Bonnett told you to do, you should have-"

"I need to pass this class Pepper-"

"But you should be more concerned about your health dammit!" Pepper states a she slams her paintbrush down on the table making everything and everyone jump. "It's over one hundred and two degrees outside! And your need to please is going to hurt you if someone isn't there!"

"You're overreacting!" Loki sneers.

"No I'm not! You know I'm not!" Pepper sneers back, jabbing a finger into Loki's chest.

Loki pushes Pepper's hand away from himself and he turns back to the banner. "This conversation is over."

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is! Now let me get back to work or leave!" Loki practically yells as he whirls around to look at Pepper.

Pepper stares at him for a few seconds before she smiles sadly, "Fine."

Loki deflates as he watches Pepper walk to the other side of the banner and he bites his bottom lip to keep it from trembling.

He picks up his paintbrush and continues his task, wishing Pepper hadn't listened to him and left.

* * *

When Tony walks into Photography he spots Loki's stuff on the T.A table, but he doesn't see Loki. "Hey Mrs. V. Loki in the camera room?"

"Hi Tony. Yes he's in there. Today is the first day that the students will be taking the camera's out, and because Loki has done this already he's going to teach you how to do it, okay?"

"Okay, cool," Tony says as he too sets his stuff down and heads toward the open camera room door.

Tony spots Loki inside rubbing his head and he walks in. "Hey Loki."

Loki looks up at the sound of Tony's voice and he tries to smile, "Hello Stark."

"You know, now that we're friends, you can call me 'Tony'," Tony says jokingly.

Loki chuckles as he leans on the counter behind himself, "Maybe later."

"Alright, I'll hold you to it." Tony looks past Loki, which is not an easy thing to do if you ask him, and he looks at the cameras. "Mrs. V said that you're gonna teach me stuff."

Loki nods, "I'm teaching you how to check the cameras out to the students."

"Yeah that," Tony agrees.

"Well it is easier if you have a partner to help you out," Loki tells him as he stands slowly, gripping the edge of the counter with one hand as he turns, facing the cameras.

Loki reaches up and for one of the cameras, trying to hide how shaky his hand is, as he continues explaining. "Basically the students will chose a camera number. Whenever they want to check one of the camera's out they have to use the one that they choose today."

"So," Loki continues, "Say that a student picks camera number five, that student will write their name on the sign out sheet on the table under the frame of the door next to the number five. Then, even if cameras one through four are still on the shelves, you or I will give that student camera five, along with a USB cord, and ask whether or not they need passes to go outside. If they do we give them however many they need."

"Okay, sounds easy enough," Tony says as Loki turns to look at him. "What about when they return the camera?"

"They tell you the number of the camera and put a check mark next to their name, returning the USB cord and, if they had them, the passes and whatever else they took."

"Whatever else they took?"

"Yes, like if one of them needed a tri-pod, for instance, then they return that when they return the camera."

"Oh! Okay. That's it?"

"Yes."

"Cool." Silence falls between them, but Tony can't stand it. "So now what?" he asks.

"Now we wait for the students to come and pick a number," Loki says simply.

Tony sighs and he starts to pace around the tiny room restlessly, picking things up and setting them back down. Out of the corner of his eye he catches Loki rubbing his temples and biting his lower lip, eyes closed. If it weren't for the pain evident on Loki's face, Tony would have found the look very sexy. He takes a step toward Loki, "Hey, you okay?"

Loki stops rubbing his head and opens his eyes, looking straight at Tony, "I'm fine."

"Really? You don't look fine," and damn if he's not right. Loki's complexion is pale, or more pale than usual. There's a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and bags under his eyes. His hands are trembling and it's obvious that he's supporting himself on the counter.

"I'm fine," Loki repeats.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Loki says quietly.

Tony takes another step toward Loki and he stops directly in front of him, lifting his hands. "May I?" he asks as he gestures to his own head.

Loki removes his hands from his head and he nods. He watches as Tony reaches up and touches the sides of his head with the index and middle fingers on both hands. He moans quietly when Tony applies pressure to the touch and he unconsciously leans into Tony's fingers, his eyes closing again.

Tony holds his breath and tries not to think about how sexy the sound Loki made was. He continues rubbing and applying pressure to Loki's temples, feeling the silky hair move between his fingers.

All of a sudden Loki's knees buckle and Tony instinctively wraps his arms around Loki's waist.

Loki falls into Tony's chest, his mouth falling open, and he tries to regulate his breathing and stop his vision from going out of focus.

Tony hears Loki's awkward breathing, and he remembers what happened the last time he wrapped his arms around Loki. Instantly he unwraps his arms and puts distance between himself and Loki, but he holds Loki's hips with his hands. "Loki are you okay?" he asks again.

Loki opens his eyes and he nods, which he regrets instantly. "I am fine."

"No you're not."

"I am fine," Loki repeats as he takes Tony's hands off of him.

"Loki-"

"I said I'm fine Stark!" Loki yells and then he starts panting again.

Tony's eyes narrow in anger and he opens his mouth to retort, but he gets interrupted.

"Uh... hi..."

Tony turns around to look at who spoke and Loki lifts his gaze.

It's the same brunette girl who asked Loki if she could ask him a question on the first day of school. "Can I get a camera...?" she asks quietly, obviously feeling like she intruded on something.

"Yes," Loki answers quickly, "Which one do you want?" he asks nicely.

"I don't know... Which one do you use?" she asks Loki.

"I use number five," Loki answers with a soft smile.

The girl smiles back, a bit of her earlier apprehension disappearing, and she nods, "Can I get that one then?"

"Of course." Loki turns and reaches up to get the camera and Tony can't help but notice how shaky his hand is.

"Can you write your name next to the number five on the paper, please?" Tony asks kindly, tearing his gaze away from Loki though he has a gut feeling that he shouldn't. "Mel? Is that short for Melanie?" Tony asks when Mel puts the pen she was using down and he looks at her name.

She shakes her head. "No, it's short for Melark."

"That's a pretty name," Tony says honestly, giving Mel a soft smile.

"Thank you."

At that moment Loki throws one of the eight by eleven beginner's photo passes at Tony and it hits him on the back of the head. That action alone causes the room around him to swim out of focus.

Tony turns around slowly and he glares at Loki. "What?"

Loki holds his hand out to Tony, not trusting his voice.

Again, Tony looks at how badly Loki is shaking, and all of the anger leaves him. He takes the camera out of Loki's hand and gives it to Mel with a smile.

"Thank you," she says again and she waves as she walks away from them, holding the camera close to her chest.

The next person in the small line that has formed in front of the door moves forward before Tony can turn to look at Loki, so he continues asking people what number camera they want and to write their names next to the number on the sign out sheet. He can't help but notice how every time Loki hands him a camera he's shaking just a bit more.

Tony sighs internally and wonders why Loki is being so stubborn about obviously not being fine. The eighth person in line comes up when Loki's voice reaches Tony's ears.

"Stark."

Tony, still slightly perturbed at Loki, decides to ignore him and starts a conversation with person number eight , whose name is apparently Luis.

"Stark," Loki tries again.

Tony still doesn't acknowledge Loki, but he does notice the strain in Loki's voice.

"Tony..."

Tony turns then, happily shocked that Loki used his name, but the triumphant smile on his face quickly disappears at the sight of Loki.

Loki is holding onto the counter as if his life depends on it and his entire body is quivering. "... Don't let them touch me..." he pants. His eyes roll into the back of his head as his body sways and he falls forward.

Tony yelps and he holds his arms out to catch Loki and keep him from getting hurt.

Loki's sudden weight causes Tony's knees to buckle and Tony sinks to the floor, cradling Loki's upper body to his chest.

They land on the floor with a loud thud and pain shoots through Tony's buttocks, but he doesn't care as he carefully flips Loki's limp body over.

Loki's head comes to rest on the crook of Tony's neck and Tony can feel his shallow breathing there. _Damn I know I wanted to touch him but not like this._

Tony looks up and sees an open-mouthed Luis just standing there, staring. "What are you waiting for? Tell Mrs. V that Loki passed out!" Tony screams angrily. _Really what idiot just stands and stares?_

Luis turns and bolts away from the door, and seconds later Tony hears him stuttering the situation to Mrs. V, and he rolls his eyes.

His attention returns to Loki, and he gently swipes away a few stray strands of hair. _He said not to let them touch him... Who's them?_

Just then Mrs. V comes in and she kneels next to Tony, looking at Loki. "Did he just pass out?"

"Yeah. He just sort of... fell."

Mrs. V nods, "Okay I'll call the front office. They'll send Campus Security to come pick him up. Just hold him and make sure he can breathe, okay," Mrs. V says as she starts to walk away.

"Okay..." Tony shifts so that the back of Loki's head is on his shoulder, allowing his neck to extend. _I guess the _they_ are the security guards._ Tony would have taken the chance to admire Loki's features if it weren't for the immense amount of worry he's going through. Then the guilt comes.

_I shouldn't have ignored him. What the fuck is wrong with me? You don't ignore a friend when they need you, Tony, no matter how mad you are at them._

Loki groans and his eyes flutter open. His head falls to the side and his eyes land on Tony, and Tony can tell that he's confused and in pain. "Loki?"

"Tony..." Loki's eyes close and he goes limp again.

_And he passed out. Again._

Just then Mrs. V comes back in. "Has he woken up?"

"He did for like two seconds and then..." Tony looks down at Loki before looking back up.

Mrs. V nods as she looks at Loki. "Campus Security is on their way with a golf cart. They should be here soon."

Tony only nods.

"I have to go back and continue the lesson. Just stay here with Loki."

Tony nods again before he looks back at Loki and pushes more strands of hair off the pale face, moving his head gently back to where it was before.

Mrs. V contemplates Tony as she watches him take care of Loki. She can clearly see the worry in Tony's eyes, but she looks past that.

She's been watching Tony and Loki ever since the first day of school, and it's obvious that there's something between them, she just doesn't know what. Not yet at least. "Tony," she says and waits for him to look at her. "He'll be okay," she tells him when he does, and then she turns around and leaves.

Tony sighs. "I hope so," he says quietly.

Two minutes later Tony hears the voice of a lady asking Mrs. V about a boy that fainted.

Ten seconds later there is an old woman standing in front of the door in a bright yellow vest.

He groans internally. _Of all the security here they had to send the one that hates me most._

The woman walks into the room with a scowl on her lips, bumping into the table with the sign out sheet on it. "Move. I need to get him to the Nurse's office," she says as she tries to reach down.

Instantly Tony wraps his arms around Loki, turning his back on the old woman, effectively shielding Loki from her. "Don't touch him," Tony commands protectively.

The woman's scowl turns into a sneer. "I need to take him to the Nurse's office, so give him to me now."

"He doesn't want you or anyone like you touching him."

"I don't care what he wants."

"But I do."

"And who are you to him exactly, Mr. Stark?" she asks a bit mockingly.

"I'm his friend, and I won't let you or anyone else disrespect his wish," Tony says resolutely, "So don't you dare touch him."

The woman purses her lips and her eyes narrow in anger. "Well what do you suggest we do. If I can't 'touch him' then how am I supposed to get him to the nurse?"

"Let Tony take him," Mrs. V says from behind the woman.

Tony didn't even see Mrs. V there, but he has an all new level of respect for his favorite teacher on this godforsaken campus.

"What?!" the woman practically yells, turning to look at Mrs. V incredulously.

"Let Tony carry Loki to the golf cart and have him stay with Loki in the nurse's office."

"I can't allow that," the woman automatically says.

"Why not? Is it because you won't be able to go against my student's wish to not be touched?" Mrs. V retorts angrily, settling the woman with a glare that can almost compete with Loki's own. Almost.

The woman huffs, putting her hands on her wide hips, "There isn't enough room on the cart for both of them."

"Like hell there isn't," Mrs. V scoffs. "I've seen those things carry five people, not including when the backseat is empty. I'm sure your golf cart will carry you and two students."

The woman rolls her eyes then, "I need to contact my superiors."

"Well get to it then! My student needs help!" Mrs. V yells.

When the woman leaves Tony chuckles. "I knew you were the best teacher ever."

Mrs. V smirks, "I'm only protective of my students, Tony."

"Well thanks for the help. She probably would have taken Loki by force if you hadn't said something."

"No problem."

The woman comes back, obviously angry, and she snarls, "Well come on! We don't have all day!" She tries to stalk away but Mrs. V stands in her way.

"Do anything to my T.A's that they don't like and I hear about it, I will report you, and I will end you."

Tony listens while he picks Loki up in his arms carefully, making sure to cradle his head, and when he finally stands and looks up he smirks at the terrified look on the woman's face. "Shall we?" he asks as he walks past her, Loki in his arms, smiling cheekily.

The woman growls, but she follows after Tony anyway.

* * *

He can hear voices, but they're muffled and distant, or at least that is how they sound. For a fleeting moment he thinks it's the night he discovered that he was adopted, but he remembers that he's actually at school and that he passed out in the camera room.

His mouth feels as though there is cotton in it and his head is pounding ferociously against his skull. He feels something damp on his forehead and he tries to lift a hand to take the thing off, but he can barely move, so he gives up trying to move.

The more he comes back into conciousness the clearer the voices become.

They sound angry and annoyed, and he wonders why. After a few seconds the voices start to make sense and form words in his mind, but only one voice becomes familiar.

"... not leaving! No way!"

"You can't stay here-" a woman tries to protest, but she gets cut off.

"Well that's nice but I don't care. I'm not leaving him with the likes of you," Tony replies heatedly.

Loki isn't sure why, but he doesn't want Tony to leave him all alone here... wherever here is.

"Well tough because Security is about to escort you out," a different female voice says.

"Like hell they are!"

"Mr. Stark-"

"Tony..." Loki groans as he tries to open his eyes.

It goes quiet instantly for a few seconds, and then the sound of footsteps fills his senses. Then there's a gentle, calloused hand in his hair, running through it. He sighs as the soothing motion calms his raging headache slightly, and he tries to lean into the touch.

"Loki?"

Loki wills his eyes to open, and after a few failed attempts, they do, but slowly.

The first thing he notices is that he's laying down on a medical bed. The second thing he notices is that Tony is looking down at him and it's his hand in his hair. The third thing he notices is the worry in the warm, brown eyes looking down at him.

The nurse brings a cup of water over to Loki and she reaches down to help him up, but he cringes away from her touch and the action causes him to move closer to Tony.

Tony's arm finds its way underneath Loki's head and around his shoulders, "Don't touch him."

"He needs to drink this," the nurse says in annoyance.

"But you don't need to touch him, and I already told you he doesn't _want to be touched_ by any of you," Tony retorts.

Loki is surprised at the amount of protectiveness lacing Tony's voice, but he's more surprised by the realization that he wants to scoot closer to Tony's chest, that he wants to be closer to Tony.

The nurse huffs, "Then you help him up."

And Tony does so, slowly and gently, pulling the rag on Loki's forehead off in the process.

Loki leans into Tony's chest once he's in some kind of reclining position, and he puts the back of his head into the crook of Tony's neck.

Tony takes the cup of water the nurse was holding and puts it up to his lips.

Loki puts his lips on the edge of the cup and Tony tilts it slowly, not wanting any of the water to spill.

The water feels like a miracle against Loki's dry tongue and he savors the coolness of it. He's glad that Tony is the one holding and tilting the cup because if he was the one doing it the water would be spilling down his chin.

As soon as Loki finishes the water Tony pulls the cup away and puts it down before brushing more hair off of Loki's face.

They stare at each other, Tony wondering if Loki is feeling better or worse or if he's hurt and needs to go to a hospital or something, Loki wondering why Tony is being so nice and gentle and caring after just one day of being friends.

The nurse clears her throat and both of them tear their gazes from one another and look at her, slightly startled. "Mr. Odinson-"

"Call me Loki."

The nurse quirks an annoyed brow, "Mr. Odinson-"

"What is it with you people and last names? Just call him Loki," Tony says exasperatedly.

"Mr. Stark, you're not even supposed to be here-"

"He stays," Loki says as loudly as he can manage.

"He's not-" the nurse tries to protest.

"He. Stays," Loki growls.

The nurse lets a sharp breath out through her nose and she closes her eyes. When she opens them again she looks straight at Loki. "_Loki,_ can you tell me why you fainted?"

Loki raises a trembling hand to his head and he sighs, "I haven't eaten anything for a little over twenty-four hours."

"You already look as if you're underweight. Why didn't you eat," the nurse more demands than asks sharply, sounding accusatory.

Loki tenses and his jaw clenches in anger. "I am not starving myself if that is what you are thinking. I wasn't hungry last night so I didn't eat anything. I woke up late this morning and didn't have a chance to get something to eat and Bonnett needed me to do a couple of things for her during lunch today and there wasn't enough time for me to eat, so do not make it sound as if I am trying to get skinnier by not eating you daft woman," he sneers.

The nurse purses her lips in anger and she stands from her seat. "Excuse me," she says tartly.

Both Loki and Tony watch as the nurse leaves. As soon as she's gone Loki relaxes back into Tony's chest, pressing the heel of his hands to the balls of his closed eyes.

"Loki, are you okay?" Tony asks quietly.

"No..." Loki whispers, "No I'm not."

It goes quiet in the room after that. Tony doesn't know what to do at this point because he has done everything that Loki asked him to do, which admittedly wasn't much, but still. He almost breathes a sigh of relief when Loki breaks the silence.

"I'm sorry," Loki says quietly as he brings his hands away from his face.

Tony's brows furrow, "For what?"

"For lying to you," Loki says as he tilts his face up toward Tony's downcast one.

"It's okay."

"No it's not. Friends don't lie to one another."

"Loki, everyone lies to each other, even friends," Tony says softly, smiling.

Loki thinks about that as he looks down again, and he doesn't try to deny the truth in Tony's words. He nods and breathes out slowly, "Thank you, Anthony."

Tony nods too, a little surprised at the use of his actual first name. He finds that he doesn't mind hearing his full first name coming out of Loki's mouth, and he decides that he likes it. "You're welcome."

At that moment the nurse walks back into the room. "Your mother is on her way to pick you up. She'll be here in a couple of minutes."

"My stuff-"

"I'll give it to Thor, okay?" Tony asks, giving Loki's shoulders a light squeeze.

The touch sends a light tremor down Loki's spine, but he nods, "Okay, thank you."

"Mr. Stark, you need to go now."

"No. He stays until my mother gets here," Loki states firmly.

The nurse rolls her eyes, but she leaves without another word.

"Rude."

"Indeed." Loki closes his eyes only to open them when he feels Tony wriggling. After a few more seconds of the movement Loki considers sitting up, but Tony stops moving before he can follow through.

"Here," Tony says as he holds out a plastic bag in front of Loki.

Loki reaches forward with shaky hands, taking the plastic bag and looking at the squishy thing inside of it. "What is it?"

"It's supposed to be a Honey Bun," Tony says as he too looks at the bag in Loki's hand.

"I see... Why are you giving me a Honey Bun?"

"Well you passed out cause you haven't had a chance to eat right? And the nurse obviously doesn't know how to do her job so I'm doing it for her."

"Doing her job for her?" Loki asks as he looks away from the bag to look at Tony.

"Yeah. You need to eat or you'll just pass out again. That and you need to drink something, preferably water, but I'm pretty sure that can wait until your mom gets here."

Loki nods and he looks down at the Honey Bun again.

After a few minutes the sound of a door opening reaches them.

A few seconds later a soft voice full of worry reaches their ears and then soft, quick footfalls. Before Loki can so much as blink his mother is in the doorway to the room that he and Tony are in.

"Oh Loki... Sweetheart are you okay?" Frigga asks as she rushes in, pulling Loki into her chest.

"I'm fine, mum," Loki says quietly as he buries his face into her shoulder.

"They told me you fainted, are you hurt?" Frigga says as she pulls away and starts searching him for any type of injury.

"No, I'm not hurt."

"What happened?"

"He passed out, but he called my name before he fell. I caught him before he hit the floor," Tony says quietly, sounding slightly uncomfortable, making his presence known.

Frigga looks at him in surprise, as if she's just barely realized that Loki wasn't alone. "Tony? You... You kept him from getting hurt?"

"He also kept them from touching me," Loki says quietly. His mother already knows he doesn't like being touched, so there's no confusion on her face when she looks back at him.

Frigga looks between the two of them before her gaze settles on Tony. She stands and walks over to him, wrapping her arms around him, "Thank you."

"No problem, Mrs. Odinson," Tony says back, confused as to whether or not he should return the gesture.

"Mr. Stark, go back to class. Now."

Tony sighs as Mrs. Odinson pulls away and he gives her a small smile before he walks toward the nurse at the door. He turns before he walks under the frame of the door and he looks at Loki. "Bye. I'll make sure Thor gets your stuff."

"Thank you... Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell Pepper she was right... and that I'm sorry... Please?" Loki asks.

"Yeah, I will."

"Thank you. Bye, Anthony," Loki says quietly, and a bit sadly.

"Bye Loki."

And then Tony's gone, and Loki feels oddly alone.

"Come, Sweetheart, let's get you home," Frigga says softly.

Loki nods and he slowly gets off of the medical bed.

The ride home is full of Frigga fussing over him, but Loki only stares at the Honey Bun in his hand.

Once home Frigga helps him get to his room and on his bed. She tells him that she'll make something for him to eat and drink and bring it up to him and that he only needs to rest for today before she heads out of his room and back down the stairs.

When she's gone Loki sits up in his bed, Eira and Kari looking at him from the foot of it, and he opens the plastic bag in his hands.

He rips off a piece of the Honey Bun and slowly puts it in his mouth.

Though the pastry is a bit soggy, it's the best Honey Bun that Loki has ever tasted, and he doesn't realize that it has nothing to do with the flavor of the bun, but everything to do with the person who gave it to him.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if this seems a bit rushed, but in my defence Loki is a bit out of it so his feelings are coming out in his state of wackiness! ^^**


	7. 25, August 2012 Wednesday pt 2

**A/N: I'm sorry for the wait guys! Fourth of July weekend was crazy and I had no time to write! With that said, Happy belated fourth to my American readers! Also, I love the fourth even more now cause my crush finally asked me to be his girlfriend and yeah! I'm happy.  
Anyway, thank you so much for the faves/follows/reviews! they mean mucho to me!  
Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony heads out of Photography class with his and Loki's stuff, and he walks toward the spot that he always sees Loki go to after school.

He spots Pepper standing there in heels, jeans and a t-shirt, her purse off to one side, holding her folder to her chest, looking worried and anxious. Tony closes his eyes and lets out a breath as he walks toward her.

He doesn't know how he's going to tell the redhead that her best friend passed out in class, but he hopes that she doesn't freak out and start crying on him.

He's halfway to her when she spots him. He continues walking as she too walks toward him with something akin to apprehension on her face.

"Tony?" Pepper asks when he's close enough to hear her.

"Yeah, hi," Tony greets as they stop in front of one another. "It's Pepper, right?"

"Yes," Pepper says as she looks at the backpack and guitar case in Tony's hands, no doubt recognizing them.

Tony watches Pepper's face and he isn't surprised one bit when her apprehension turns into sadness. "Pepper-"

"Where is he?" Pepper asks, interrupting Tony.

"He's at home," Tony answers.

Pepper nods, looking slightly calmer, but the grip on her folder still tightens slightly. "What happened?" she asks quietly.

Tony sighs, "He passed out in class."

Pepper swallows, "Did he get hurt?"

"No," Tony answers.

"Did you have something to do with him _not_ getting hurt?" Pepper asks firmly this time, looking straight at Tony.

Tony blushes, wishing Pepper's scrutinizing gaze was focused on anything but him. "Yes."

Pepper nods again and it goes quiet after that.

Tony shifts the items in his hands around as the uncomfortable silence stretches on. After a few minutes of the silence and of people walking quickly past the pair, he gets tired of just standing around. "Walk with me," he tells Pepper as he starts walking away.

Pepper snaps out of her thoughts and she rushes to catch up with Tony.

Tony heads toward the front of the school and he waits until Pepper is walking next to him before he speaks again. "Loki asked me to tell you that you were right, and that he's sorry," he says as he dodges people left and right, making sure not to bang the guitar case into anything or anyone.

Pepper's step falters before being resumed. "He asked you to tell me this?" she asks.

"Yeah." Tony looks at Pepper then and he quirks an eyebrow at the expression on her face. "What?"

Pepper looks away and shakes her head, "Nothing. Sorry it's just..."

Tony waits but when nothing more comes he looks more intently at Pepper. "Just what?"

Pepper hesitates and she looks down at her folder. _It's now or never._ "He trusts you."

Tony blinks as Pepper's words sink in. "Um... what?"

"Loki trusts you," Pepper clarifies.

"How do you know that?" Tony asks. At the look Pepper settles him with Tony feels stupid. "Right... Best friends," he says as he looks away.

Pepper sighs, "Look, I'm only telling you this because Loki is my best friend and I don't want to see him get hurt."

Tony stops walking and looks straight at Pepper then. "I don't want to hurt him Pepper."

Pepper also stops walking and she glares at Tony. "Yeah. That's what everyone else said. Look at how many friends he has now."

"Do I _look_ like everyone else?" Tony asks heatedly as he takes a step closer. A sick type of satisfaction fills him as Pepper staggers back, but the feeling disappears as quickly as it came.

"No. You don't look like everyone else but that doesn't mean you won't hurt him," Pepper states.

"How would I hurt him if I don't want to hurt him?" Tony asks as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Unintentionally," is all Pepper says.

Tony looks into Pepper's hard gaze, understanding washing over him. "That shouldn't even count since it would be unintentional."

Pepper sighs more loudly this time, "I know, but Loki would still be hurt."

"Getting hurt is part of life."

"How would you know? No one would ever hurt _the_ Tony Stark," Pepper replies harshly.

Tony's face darkens and his body tenses. "Oh yeah. I forgot about the special, magical protection _my name_ gives me," Tony sneers. "Just because my last name is Stark doesn't change anything! I know pain, and I know plenty of it!" Tony's voice wavers at the end of his sentence but he doesn't care as he gets a firmer grip on Loki's stuff and starts to walk away.

He can hear Pepper's heels clap against the cement before she reaches out and tugs on his arm

"Tony-"

"What!?" Tony demands as he pulls his arm out of Pepper's grip and whirls around to face her.

"I'm sorry," Pepper says, "It's just... I've seen Loki hurt too many times before. I don't want to see him hurt again," she finishes quietly.

Tony studies Pepper's face before he allows his own to soften. "I understand that you're trying to protect him, but don't push his other friends away in the process."

Pepper smiles sadly, "I guess I'm just too over-protective of him."

"And it's okay to be. Just try not to be so harsh," Tony says.

"I will."

They continue walking to the front of the school together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, when Tony remembers something. "Hey, Pepper?"

"Yeah?"

"Thor doesn't know that Loki and I-"

"Have classes together," Pepper finishes with a smirk. "Loki told me."

Tony smiles, "Of course he did."

Pepper laughs softly and she looks at Tony. "I won't tell Thor anything," she says.

Tony visibly relaxes and he smiles. "Thank you. I know you're doing it for Loki, but thank you."

"You're welcome," Pepper says, feeling a bit guilty because Tony is right about only keeping the information from Thor for Loki's benefit.

They make it all the way to Tony's car and the rest of his group of friends in silence, except for the sound of Pepper's heels, and they stop directly in front of Thor.

"Tony? Why do you have Loki's stuff?" Thor asks, a confused expression on his face.

Tony blanks as he tries to think of something to say, but luckily, Pepper speaks up first.

"He saw me carrying Loki's stuff. See, Loki didn't feel too good last period so he went to the nurse's office and from there he went home. He texted me and asked me to bring him his stuff."

"So why is Tony carrying it?" Natasha asks coldly as she folds her arms over her chest, one perfectly plucked eyebrow arching in suspicion.

Pepper looks at Natasha and she smiles, "Because he saw me carrying it all and offered his help," she replies with a cold and clipped tone, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"I also offered to give her a ride to your house, Thor, so that she wouldn't have to walk all the way there. Also because I can be a gentleman sometimes Romanoff," Tony says, coming to his senses and trying to back Pepper's lie.

Natasha's lips purse in annoyance and Clint speaks up. "But we're all supposed to go to Nat's house today."

"I know. I'll go straight there after I drop Pepper off," Tony says lightly, or as lightly as he can manage.

"Ms. Pepper," Thor speaks, a question on his tongue.

"Call me Pepper," Pepper says with a kind smile.

Thor nods, "Pepper, what is it that was wrong with my brother?" he asks, worry lacing his voice.

"His stomach was hurting," Pepper tells him. Clint sniggers and both Thor's and Pepper's faces darken. "He didn't want to leave, but the nurse forced him to," Pepper continues through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes off Thor.

Thor nods, "Tell him I will check on him when I get home."

"I will."

"Thank you."

It's painfully obvious to Tony that both Pepper and Thor know something about Loki that he doesn't, and it's obvious that a stomach ache is bad, and he wonders why.

Though Tony knows that Loki went home because he passed out, he can't help but worry about possible, future stomach aches. Before he can delve further into his worry, Pepper clears her throat.

"Well, Loki's gonna kill me if I don't take his things to him soon. Tony?"

Tony looks at Pepper and he nods. "Right. Yeah, okay. Clint, off the car. Now," he commands as he moves to open Pepper's door, shifting Loki's backpack over to his other hand.

Clint makes a face as he scoots off the hood of Tony's black Audi r8, and he watches with the rest of the group as Tony puts Loki's stuff in the trunk and Pepper climbs into the passenger's side seat.

When Tony finally gets into the car and starts it, he waves at his friends and pulls out of his parking space. He looks out of his rear view mirror as he turns out of the parking lot, relaxing in his seat. "Nice lie back there," he states as he glances at Pepper.

Pepper smirks and she looks at Tony. "Thank you. I learned from the best."

"Who?" Tony asks.

"Who do you think?" Pepper asks back coyly.

Tony pretends to think for a few seconds before fake genius lights up his face. "Loki?"

Pepper laughs, "How did you guess?" she asks in mock surprise.

"They don't call me a genius for no reason," Tony replies.

Pepper laughs even more and Tony smiles as he speeds up, heading to Loki's house.

* * *

Tony holds his breath as Pepper rings the doorbell. He doesn't understand why he's nervous, he's been here so many times before with Thor.

And that's when it hits him.

_This is the first time I'm here without Thor._ Tony blinks. _This is the first time I'm here for Loki._ He blinks again. _Well then._

At that moment Mrs. Odinson opens the door, a dish rag in her hand, and Tony stands up just a tad bit straighter.

"Oh! Pepper, Tony. Hello," Frigga says in surprise.

"Hi Mrs. Odinson," the teens say in unison.

Frigga smiles, "How many times have I told you kids to call me Frigga?" She laughs softly, "Come in. I'm guessing you are both here for Loki, though I honestly didn't think you would come Tony," she says as she leads Pepper and Tony toward the living room, glancing back to look at Tony briefly.

Tony clears his throat, "Yeah, I just wanted to make sure my friend is okay."

A discernible look flickers through Frigga's face before she turns around and continues walking. When she reaches the foot of the stairs, Frigga stops and turns to look at the two teenagers following her. She smiles kindly at them as she steps aside. "He has just finished eating. Go ahead and walk up to his room. If you need anything just holler."

"Thank you," Pepper says and Tony just nods.

They both walk up the stairs silently, and Pepper leads the way to Loki's bedroom.

Pepper doesn't knock as they reach the closed door, she only turns the knob and pushes it open.

Tony spots Loki laying down on his bed, an ice pack wrapped in a towel across his forehead, eyes closed, and two cats on the pillows above his head, over Pepper's shoulder.

Loki groans when he hears the door open. "Mum, I told you I'm fine. Please stop fussing."

"Hm. Your mom did seem a tad bit on the flustered side," Pepper says as she walks in, tossing her things on Loki's desk, Tony only following past the frame by one step, putting Loki's things down gently.

Loki's eyes open and he turns his head. "Pepper? Anthony? What are you doing here?" he asks quietly as he slowly sits up on the bed, the ice pack falling onto his lap.

Pepper walks over to Loki and plops herself down on the bed. "Well we needed to make sure you're okay."

Loki looks down and he starts to pick at the towel covering the ice pack. I'm fine," he says quietly. "I'm also sorry, Pepper," he adds a few seconds later.

Pepper smiles gently as she takes Loki's hand in hers. "I forgive you."

Loki peeks up at Pepper with a small smile. "I love you, Peepee."

"I love you too Kiki," Pepper coos and Loki visibly cringes.

They both laugh together and Tony stands in the doorway, torn between staying and leaving, and trying his best to not let the cats out of the room. He's just about to slink out when Loki speaks up breathlessly.

"Anthony, you brought my things?"

Tony looks up and is surprised to see both Pepper and Loki smiling at him. "Uh, yeah. I know I said I'd give it to Thor so that he can bring it to you, but then Pepper and I had to come up with a lie so..."

"Oh yeah... About that," Pepper says as she looks at Loki again.

Loki looks back and forth between his two friends, "What?" he groans.

"Well... Thor asked why you went home..."

Okay... And?" Loki asks.

"I told him that it was because you had a stomach ache."

"What?!" Loki shrieks. "Pepper-"

"I know! I know! I'm sorry, but that weird one with the obsession for birds started making rude noises and I got mad!" Pepper says, trying to defend her action.

"Pepper," Loki says as he covers his face with his hands, "Do you realize what you've done?"

"Yes. I'm sorry," Pepper says quietly.

"How did Thor take it?" Loki asks.

"He looked really worried," Pepper tells him.

"Well, what's done is done," Loki sighs. He looks up at Tony and smirks at the sight. "Eira, Kari, stop it," he commands, and Tony watches, amazed, as the two black kittens head back toward the bed.

Afterwards, Tony only stands there, not sure what to do with himself. He starts contemplating whether or not he should have come without Thor but before he can come up with an answer, Loki's silky, accented voice wafts it's way to his ears.

"Thank you for bringing me my things, Anthony."

And Tony takes that as his cue to leave. He nods, "Anytime. I'll see you at school, okay? Later." With that Tony turns to walk out of the room, but again, Loki's voice catches his attention.

"Anthony..."

Tony turns around, one eyebrow raised. "Yeah?"

"Wh... Why don't you stay for a bit?" Loki asks hesitantly, a hint of hope in his voice.

Tony smiles slowly, his heart beating slightly faster. "Okay."

Loki smiles at Tony and he scoots over on his bed, patting the empty space next to him. "Come sit down."

Tony closes the door and walks over and sits on the spot Loki indicated with his hand.

Pepper and Loki start asking him questions about himself, and normally Tony would be rude and sarcastic, but because Loki is the one asking most of the questions, Tony answers them to the best of his abilities.

With every answer Tony gives Loki falls more and more, not realizing that the fluttering in his stomach is not from happiness that his friend decided to stay, but from falling in love, and falling fast.

Pepper occasionally asks a question, but she mostly watches Loki and Tony. Though she's a bit apprehensive about where this friendship may go, she's just happy that Loki is finally, truly happy, and she's glad that Tony is the reason.

Tony stays with Loki and Pepper for the rest of the day, clueless to the time and how fast it's going by, completely forgetting about going to Natasha's house like he said he would.

* * *

"Is it just me, or is Stark acting different?" Clint asks.

"Different how?" Steve asks.

"Different as in... different," Clint states.

"Nice elaboration," Natasha deadpans. Her, Clint, Thor, Steve and Bruce are all scattered around her room surrounded by pizza boxes and a variety of drinks.

Thor looks at Clint as he sticks another piece of pizza in his mouth. "I see no difference in Tony's behaviour."

"Really Thor? He's seemed a bit on edge for a while now," Clint states. "Am I the only one that's noticed this?" he asks incredulously.

"No, I've noticed," Bruce says quietly.

"See! It isn't just me!" Clint says as he points at Bruce. "Stark has been acting different!"

"Just because Tony's been on edge doesn't mean he's acting different, Clint," Steve says. "We're all on edge. It's senior year after all. He's probably just stressed about graduating like the rest of us are."

"Yeah right. Stark stressed about graduating. What a joke," Clint grumbles.

"Are you not worried about graduating?" Thor asks, sipping at his water.

"Of course I am. I just don't understand why Stark would be."

"He's just like the rest of us," Bruce says.

"Yeah right. Where is Stark anyway? I thought he was just gonna drop off the redhead with the attitude and come straight here," Clint states.

"Maybe something came up," Bruce says.

"Doubtful," Clint snorts. "I bet he's screwing her in the backseat of his car- OW!" He rubs the spot on his arm that Natasha punched, giving her a nasty look in the process.

"He's probably on his way here," Natasha says. "Thor's house is pretty far rom mine."

"I think we should all just mind our own business. Tony is free to do what he wants, just like the rest of us," Steve says, crossing his arms over his chest.

Clint grumbles a bit more before he finally drops the subject and the conversation turns to another subject completely.

* * *

It's already dark when Thor gets home. He briefly wonders why Tony never made it to Natasha's house, but that is the last thing on his mind. Right now he needs to check on Loki and make sure he's okay.

He walks into the house and after saying hi to his mother, heads straight to the stairs. Once on the landing he makes a right and heads straight to Loki's closed door.

He's a few feet away from Loki's door and he hears his brother laughing. He smiles as he continues forward. It's been so long since he's heard his brother laugh. His true laugh, not the hollow air that passes through his lips.

Thor wonders what it is that has his brother laughing when he hears a muffled, familiar voice, and he stops dead in his tracks.

"... And then he jumped and tried flapping the stupid wings strapped to his back and arms!"

More laughing sounds through the door and Thor wonders why Tony is the reason his baby brother is laughing as truly as he is.

Thor moves away from the door as Tony continues the story he knows so well and, with a confused mind, heads toward his own room.

* * *

Almost two hours later, Thor hears shuffling feet and hushed voices in the hallway, and he waits until he hears the front door close.

He waits a couple more minutes, listening to a car being turned on somewhere across the street, no doubt Tony's car, before he ventures out of his room and back down the hallway.

He hesitates once he reaches Loki's door before straightening up and knocking.

"Come in," comes the soft call.

Thor pushes the door open and he smiles as he peeks in and spots Loki playing with his kittens. "Loki, how are you feeling?"

Loki looks up and he shrugs. "I feel fine, Thor," he says quietly.

"Are you certain?" Thor asks.

"Yes."

"Loki-"

"It was just a little stomach ache, Thor. It happens," Loki interrupts, but not harshly.

"I know," Thor says quietly as he looks down at his own two feet. "I was just worried when your friend told me that the nurse sent you home."

"Thor..."

Thor looks up and he watches as Loki sets his kittens on the bed and stands, walking toward him.

Loki stops in front of his older brother and he hesitates before he makes his decision and wraps his arms around Thor. Tony's visit put him in a good mood, and the last thing he wants is to be the reason Thor goes to bed upset. "I know you were worried, Thor. Pepper told me you were, but there is no need. I am fine."

Thor is surprised with the contact that Loki initiated, and it takes him a moment to reciprocate the embrace. At Loki's words he relaxes and it becomes easier to breathe. "I love you, brother," Thor says quietly, tightening his hold on Loki's slim frame.

"I love you too," Loki says as his hands ball into fists on Thor's back. A few seconds later, he drops his arms and pulls back. "I'm sorry, Thor, but I'm tired."

Thor drops his arms back to his sides and he smiles softly. "I understand. I'll let you rest." He wants to ask Loki why Tony stayed here and didn't hang out with him and the rest of the group, but he doesn't want to push his luck and ruin his brother's good mood.

"Thank you, Thor. Goodnight," Loki says as he walks back to his bed and sits down.

"Goodnight." Thor walks out of the room, closing the door behind himself with a soft click, and he walks back to his room. _I will just ask Tony tomorrow what it was he did with Loki,_ Thor decides as he lays down on his bed, closing his eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

**A/N: I know the ending for this chapter is a bit wonky, but I couldn't figure out a proper way to end this chapter, and I didn't want you guys to wait longer than necessary. Sorry if you don't like it...**


	8. 26, August 2012 Thursday

**A/N: I'm sorry for this ridiculous wait guys! But I hope you like this next chapter! I'm not sure how I feel about it so hopefully you guys like it!  
Thank you for the faves/follows/reviews! They mean the world to me!  
Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony pulls into the school parking lot the next morning with a smile so huge that he gets weird looks from the people he passes before turning into his parking space. He's the first one in his group of friends to get to the school today, and that's weird since he's usually the last one to show up.

However, last night he couldn't sleep.

He dropped Pepper off at her house last night before he headed off to his own, and once he was laying down on his bed in nothing but his boxers, all he could think about was Loki.

Loki smiling. Loki laughing. Loki laying down. Loki sitting up. Loki being sassy. Loki looking at him. Loki blinking. BLINKING for crying out loud!

He couldn't stop thinking about Loki, and he honestly didn't want to.

So here he was at six thirty in the morning, sitting in his car with a shit eating grin on his face and no care in the world what he looks like.

Tony continues to sit in his car thinking about Loki, oblivious to the rapidly filling parking lot and the people passing his car. He's brought out of his memories when he hears something tapping, more like knocking, on his car window.

He turns his head and rolls his eyes as he rolls the window down. "Hey Red, don't touch the glass with your grimy fingers," he says as Natasha folds her arms over her chest.

"Stark."

Tony looks past Natasha and spots Clint just behind her. "Ah, Robin. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you both so early in the morning," he drawls.

Natasha opens her mouth to speak but at that moment a very familiar looking red Honda Civic Coupe with black tinted windows pulls into the parking space next to Tony's.

Thor opens his door after turning the engine off and turns to speak to someone in the passenger's seat before emerging.

Tony smiles. "Hey Thor. Look, we got some Red Robin for breakfast," he says as he gestures at Clint and Natasha. "Badum tsh!"

Thor looks at Tony, confused, but a low silky chuckle Tony's attention. He leans forward over the steering wheel of his car and he spots Loki coming out of the passenger's seat and Pepper coming out of the passenger's seat of the car.

Loki stands and rests his arms on the hood of the car, smirking. "Yum."

Tony smiles. "He gets it!"

Clint bristles. "What's he doing with you?"

Thor's look of confusion vanishes and is replaced instead with a look of anger. "I offered Loki and Pepper a ride to school today. Is that a problem?" he growls, and Clint looks away.

Tony watches Loki as he stoops to pick up his folder before closing the car door and walking toward Thor, Pepper at his side.

Loki glances at Tony quickly, a small smile tugging at his lips, before he stands in front of Thor. "It is obvious that I am not welcome here, so I will take my leave. Thank you for the ride, Thor."

Thor nods, "See you after school brother. You as well Pepper," he says, looking back and forth between the pair of friends.

"Yes. Thanks, again, for the ride Thor," Pepper says, and she and Loki turn and leave.

"I am not riding in a car with him after school," Clint states once Loki is out of earshot.

"Do you have something against my brother?" Thor asks, angrily, glaring at Clint.

And really, it's a stupid question if you ask Tony, but he's not about to say that to an already pissed off Thor.

"Yeah, I do," Clint says just as angrily.

"Oh get over it, Barton," Tony says nonchalantly, knowing exactly why Clint doesn't want to be anywhere near Loki. "You deserved that pantsing and your bruised ear."

Clint turns a bright red at the mention of getting pantsed by Loki two years earlier, but he doesn't say anything further.

Steve parks next to them then, turning off his motorcycle and swinging his leg over it so that he's standing next to it. "What's going on here?" he asks once he takes off his helmet and looks at the majority of angry faces.

"Clint's holding a grudge and Thor's defending his little brother," Tony says casually, finally opening his car door and stepping out.

Steve looks between the two men and steps between them. "Seriously guys?" he asks. "Both of you stop acting like children."

"Who's acting like children?" Bruce asks quietly as he stops next to Tony.

"Clint and Thor, though I personally think that Thor has a right to kick Clint's ass," Tony explains while watching Steve lecture said men. "Corn Nut?"

Bruce looks down at the bag of ranch flavored food in Tony's hand and shrugs, taking a few of the offered corn nuts, leaning against Tony's car to watch Steve as Thor and Clint start to bicker.

"... Don't care what was said. Both of you squash it. Now," Steve says firmly and both Clint and Thor grunt their apologies to one another.

Just then the first bell rings and everyone starts to head into the school.

Tony has barely rolled up his window and pulled his folder off the passenger's seat when Thor calls him. "Waddup Big Guy?"

"May I talk to you in private?" Thor asks.

"Yeah, sure," Tony says as he stuffs his corn nuts back into his pants pocket, taking a sip of his water.

"How was your evening with my brother yesterday?" Thor asks, deciding it's best to get straight to the point then to beat around the bush.

Tony chokes on his water and coughs, looking at Thor. "What?" he asks, his heart pounding though he isn't sure if it's from fear or from his coughing fit.

"It is alright, my friend," Thor says with a smile.

Tony clears his throat , the panic in his eyes ebbing away slowly. "You're... You're not mad?"

"Of course not!" Thor says on a laugh. "I've always known that you like my brother and I am happy that you have befriended him. I just want to know when it happened," Thor explains as he and Tony walk into the gates of the school.

"Oh. Uhm, well it happened last night," Tony lies.

"Yes, I figured," Thor smiles.

They continue walking until Thor stops next to a door. "Here is my classroom. You should get to yours, Tony."

"Will do," Tony says. He hesitates leaving before he looks at Thor again. "So you're really not mad that I'm friends with your brother?" he asks.

"No, of course not," Thor says. "I actually want to thank you.

Tony's brows furrow. "Thank me for what?" he asks.

"For making my brother laugh," Thor tells him, and then he disappears into his classroom, leaving Tony alone in the emptying corridor.

* * *

Loki sits in the swivel chair at the T.A table, spinning in circles as he waits for Mrs. V to give him something to do. She had already asked him how he was feeling during fourth period, so she knows that he is fit enough to go out and take pictures if necessary.

He is in a particularly good mood but he has no idea why. However, now that he has time to stop and think about this he realizes that he has been in this good mood since the previous nights events.

He smiles as he remembers how much fun he'd had with Tony and Pepper. How he laughed truly for the first time in months, without a care in the world, and he owes it all to one Tony Stark.

Loki continues spinning in the chair as he thinks about Tony, smiling.

Tony's smile. Tony's laugh. The way Tony recounts silly memories. The way Tony's eyes crinkle in the corners when he giggles.

Loki is brought out of his musings when the voice of the man he was just thinking about reaches his ears, and he stops spinning the chair.

He smiles as he watches Tony's interaction with Mrs. V, and his stomach flutters when Tony's warm, brown eyes fall on him.

"Hey Loki," Tony says as he smiles and sits down on the foot stool in front of Loki.

"Hello," Loki says back.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Tony asks.

"I'm not sure. Mrs. V hasn't told me anything yet," Loki tells him as he looks at Mrs. V's back.

"okay, so what do we do?"

"Just wait until she tells us to do something. We'll most likely be checking out camera's to the students.

"Is that a daily basis thing?" Tony asks.

Loki looks at Tony and smiles, "Yes. There are some days when Mrs. V has the students work in Photoshop, but other than that we're in the camera room every day.

Tony looks at him, confused. "Well wouldn't it be smart to just wait in there?" he asks.

Loki blinks. "I... I suppose."

"Alright then."

Before Loki can utter another word, Tony grabs his hand and pulls a stunned Loki toward the camera room.

Once inside the room Tony sits down on the floor, his legs extended in front of himself, and he tugs on Loki's hand, pulling Loki down next to him.

Loki blinks as he lands ungracefully on the floor with a thud, his legs folded underneath him. "Gods Anthony! You did not have to pull me here, I would have come if you'd asked me to," he says on a huff.

"What if I wanted to hold your hand?" Tony asks. He doesn't know why he said it, it just came out, but he can't take it back now.

Loki blushes and he looks away, a small smile on his lips. Instead of answering the question, Loki decides to change the subject. "So how do you and Mrs. V know each other?"

Tony smiles and decides not to pursue the hand-holding subject, and he answers Loki's question. "In my freshman year she used to be my Autoshop teacher."

"Really?" Loki asks as he finally looks at Tony again, his blush replaced with curiosity.

"Yeah," Tony says. He's vaguely aware that he's still holding Loki's hand, and he wonders if Loki realizes it too.

"Was Autoshop fun?" Loki asks as he imitates Tony's sitting position, still looking at him, his eyes bright.

"It was, but mostly because I love working on cars," Tony says.

"You do?" Loki asks though he doesn't sound surprised one bit.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Tony chuckles, "It's simple really. I love pulling things apart and putting them back together. I love fixing things. I love the feel of grease on my hands and underneath my fingernails. I love the sound of an engine coming to life after I've put it back together." Tony smiles at Loki, glad to see that Loki is smiling back at him, and looks down at his lap. "I lose myself in the parts and, for a while, I forget how crappy my home life is," he says quietly.

Loki is surprised by the last part of Tony's explanation and, for some odd reason, his heart breaks a little knowing that Tony has issues at home, just like he does.

Loki can see Tony getting lost in his mind, no doubt reliving unpleasant memories, and he doesn't want Tony to be upset. He sits there and bites his lip, thinking, before making up his mind and scooting closer to Tony. Their shoulders bump and Loki lays their entwined hands on his thigh, squeezing Tony's hand so that he knows that he isn't alone.

When Tony feels slight pressure on his hand he looks down before looking up at Loki and is taken aback at the sad understanding in Loki's sharp green eyes. The fact that Loki understands when Tony knows Thor wouldn't sends a pang through his chest, and he squeezes Loki's hand back.

Loki is the first to look away after a while, but he doesn't remove his hand from Tony's, enjoying the warmth coming from the calloused hand.

They sit in silence until Mrs. V walks in and looks at them with a weird expression on her face, looking at their hands. She smiles at them then. "What's going on here boys?" she asks as she looks between the two of them.

"Nothing," Tony says nonchalantly with a shrug.

"What do you want us to do today?" Loki asks.

Mrs. V raises an amused brow and looks out at the class as the final bell rings, making sure they start their journals. "I need you guys to just hand out cameras today. Loki, have you finished your Independent Study yet?"

"Nearly. I just need to edit a few of the photos," Loki answers.

Mrs. V nods her head, "Okay. I'm gonna go start the class, you two just sit tight."

"Way ahead of you Mrs. V," Tony says.

"I can see that," Mrs. V chuckles with one last glance at their hands before walking away.

They both laugh as Mrs. V disappears and Loki moves to stand up, running a hand through his hair. Tony stands as well and they both lean on the counter, waiting for the students to come get their cameras.

After a beat of silence Loki sighs and Tony looks at him. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, just..."

"Just what?" Tony prompts, nudging Loki a little with his shoulder.

Loki nudges Tony back and looks at him through his lashes. "Just... I feel wrong... about Thor not knowing of our friendship."

"Wrong?" Tony asks, slightly hurt.

"Not necessarily wrong," Loki rushes once he realizes what he said. "Bad... maybe? I don't know, I just feel as though our keeping it a secret is a lie, and I don't want that," Loki explains. Tony chuckles and Loki pulls his hand out of Tony's, instantly missing the warmth of it. "It's not funny Anthony!" he states.

Tony controls his laughter and he smiles. "Loki, Thor figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Loki asks.

"Well he more put the pieces together, but he knows we're friends," Tony explains.

Loki's eyes widen, though whether that's in fear or shock, Tony doesn't know.

"He does?" Loki asks.

"Yeah."

"What did he say?" Loki asks.

"Well first he thanked me for being your friend," Tony says and Loki rolls his eyes. "Then he asked me when we became friends."

Loki's back tenses when he hears that and he looks into Tony's eyes. "What did you say?"

I told him we became friends yesterday," Tony says. He watches as Loki visibly relaxes and he takes a step toward him. "Hey, where is all this coming from?" he asks gently.

"I'm not sure. I just know that I don't want Thor to get angry with you for keeping our friendship a secret," Loki answers quietly.

Tony smiles then. "Believe me, he was anything but angry."

Loki smiles then. He wants nothing more than to wrap his arms around Tony and hug him, but he's afraid that that might be too weird, so he doesn't.

Thankfully at that moment Mel walks up to the door. "Hi."

"Hey Mel," Tony says while Loki says, "Hello," as well.

Tony steps toward the table in front of the door and Loki moves toward the cabinets with the cameras in them.

Mel writes her name down on the piece of paper Tony pushes in front of her and Loki walks next to Tony, holding the camera, waiting for her to take it.

Before she leaves Mel looks at the two of them. "Are you two dating?"

Tony and Loki look at each other blushing furiously. "No," Tony answers.

"Hm," Mel says. "You two should, you're a cute couple." With that she takes her camera and waves bye at them.

Tony looks at Loki, his cheeks a furious looking pink, and he can't help but imagine what it would be like to date Loki. So far he has only thought about what it would be like having sex with Loki, but now he wonders about actually dating the porcelain skinned man next to him.

Before he can indulge in his thoughts further, more students come to get their cameras and he and Loki awkwardly get back to work.

* * *

Loki sits in the passenger's seat of Thor's car, Pepper in the backseat with Bruce, and he thinks about what Mel suggested when she got her camera.

_Tony and I a couple? Like that'll happen._

Loki glances out at the side rearview mirror and he spots Tony's car behind Thor's, and Steve on his motorcycle behind him.

Loki has to admit that Tony is a good looking guy, and he can't deny that he's never entertained the idea of dating Tony after they actually started talking three weeks ago.

The thing is, Tony has only ever dated girls, and even then the relationship only lasts until Tony has had the girl sexually. The last thing Loki wants is to be made a fool by dating Tony and only being used for sex.

As much as it hurts Loki to think of Tony like that, he can't lie to himself and think that Tony would change if he ever decided to date something that didn't have breasts.

_No. The day I date Tony Stark is the day pigs fly._

* * *

Tony sits down stairs on Thor's couch watching _Zero Dark Thirty_ with his group of friends.

He's not really watching the movie though. Instead he's thinking about pretending to need to use the bathroom so that he can go upstairs to hang out with Loki and Pepper.

What Mel had said in class that day keeps on playing over and over in his mind.

_Do people think I'm actually dating Loki?_ He scratches his chin and continues thinking while looking at the tv screen, though he isn't really sure what the movie is about. _Why would people think we're dating though? It's not like anyone sees us together out of class, and people don't really pay attention to us in class._

Tony blinks and wonders if people do pay attention to them but he doesn't notice because he's too busy thinking of Loki, paying attention to him only.

He shakes his head slightly. _No, I would notice. Mel is crazy for thinking Loki and I are dating. Me and Loki, dating? Yeah right._

And Tony tries to ignore the little flutter in his chest at the thought of Loki being his boyfriend, but he can't.

* * *

**A/N: I don't have the time to actually read through and correct any mistakes, but I will do it! In the meantime, please excuse any spelling or grammar errors!**


End file.
